With his latest album Kintal da Banda, the acclaimed Angolan musician Bonga has reminded us how valuable art can be in times of darkness.
From the first track,
which gives the album its name, listeners will feel their spirits lifting as
Bonga’s passionate, raspy voice and irresistible melodies take us to a sphere
of light.
The themes range
from family get-togethers and shared meals to the need for resistance against
the “dark forces” of the planet, no matter who they are – although Bonga asserts
that he doesn’t wish to get angry anymore because it’s detrimental to his health. The stories in the songs come alive through the melodies of semba, the traditional Angolan music genre that Bonga is
credited with popularizing on the international scene.
One of the album’s
highlights is Kúdia Kuetu, a duet with French singer Carmélia Jordana
that speaks of Angola’s famed cuisine, and which somehow evokes the sweet sadness
of songs by the late Cabo Verdean star Cesária Évora. (Both Bonga and Évora
were born in the early 1940s.)
Other tracks,
such as Kolenu and Sem Kijila, recall Bonga’s long career of
activism and revolt, and even as we dance to the rhythm, the message is clear: keep
resisting the darkness and the warmongers.
Listen to
Kúdia Kuetu here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejkcvasYyVM
