New kuduro straight out of Luanda, Angola (courtesy of The Fader via Akwaaba)

“As the rest of the world starts to pay attention to Luanda’s kuduro scene, there are still very limited outlets for kudurists in Angola. It’s changing fast though, just 3 years ago the national TV stations still wouldn’t play kuduro, and as a result kuduro videos were rare. As were places to buy CDs or even venues doing kuduro shows. Now, there are more shows, music videos play and as a result more and more kudurists are investing in making music videos. Singers usually pay 2 to $5,000 to make a video, which typically plays first on TV Marçal, Angola’s first and only community TV. It preceded all of Angola’s private channels, and to this day it is considered the voice of the ghetto: it is based in the Marçal barrio of Rangel, a working class musseque of Luanda, and it broadcasts to a most of this musseque’s homes. TV Marçal plays a LOT of kuduro, as well as other styles of music, and broadcast a number of more socially-driven programs.

Now Os Mais Potentes are from the Cassenda barrio of Luanda, another working class musseque near the airport. They spit a more conscious type of kuduro, not as aggressive as say Os Lambas, more ATCQ than Tupac… Vem Ca has been one of the most played songs in Luanda this year, and will be released very soon on Akwaaba.”