Video: Batida ‘Alegria’

This new joint from Angola/Portugal’s Batida just drips with celebratory vibes. The track and clip take notes from and commemorate Angola’s carnival (which is the main influence behind the one in Rio). Batida breaks down “Alegria” as a “kuduro beat, with elements of semba, crossing electronica with African psychedelia.”

The kaleidoscopic video was made using archival footage of the Carnival of Luanda back in the 70s mixed with images of a recent concert at Knowledge Pavillion in Lisbon. Watch it above and lookout for Batida’s self-titled debut out March 26 via Soundway (tracklist below).

BATIDA LP
1. Pronto pra Batida feat. MCK
2. Alegria
3. Yumbala feat. Circuito Feixado
4. Tirei o Chapéu feat. Ikonoklasta
5. Puxa feat. Beat Laden
6. Bazuka (Quem me rusgou)
7. Tribalismo feat. Circuito Feixado (CD ONLY)
8. Ka Heueh feat. Ngongo
9. Saudade feat. Bob da Rage Sense
10. Cuka feat. Ikonoklasta

Interview: Nástio Mosquito’s No Bullsh*t Approach

MY AFRICAN MIND from BOFADACARA on Vimeo.

Nástio Mosquito is a performance artist, multi-media creator, writer, and all around provocateur. He first caught our attention when he collab’d with the BOFA da CARA collective on the video “My African Mind” (above). His work has a no bullsh*t air about it, and as we recently found out, his answers to interview questions take the same approach. Read on to see why we’re fascinated with this cheeky Angolan artist.

Kate Bomz for Okayafrica: Nástio, you are a well-rounded performer, videographer, poet, writer, essentially a jack of all trades, what do you think you are the master of?

NM: I think it’s way too early for that kind of reflection… but I guess I feel like neither Donald Trump nor P. Diddy could intimidate me on stage! Bill Clinton could f**k up my focus lol!

OKA: Going through your work, there is a lot of sexual innuendos. Are you trying to send a message through your art about sexuality or is it personal?

NM: In my work I do not try, I do. Sex is a big part of my…existence. It is something that I do not totally understand…my relationship with it or why it comes up in a lot that I do…Would you really call that innuendos?

OKA: From an artistic point of view, what do you think about African homophobic policies? How does this affect to your work?

NM: I can speak very little about this… fortunately Angola is a country where the law does not legitimate homophobic behavior, there are no homophobic driven policies. It is violent to me to see what happens in a lot of countries in the continent…I have no respect for blind, irrational, supremacy-driven preservation behavior of any f**king kind. Sometimes my work is driven by establishing that…I guess.

OKA: In the Revista Chocolate publication, you’ve described marriage as a whiff that reminds you of the worst bathroom, What are your traditional views of the roles of man and woman in the African context?

NM: I do not know…that is a very big question. I feel I cannot answer that without bullsh*tting…I try not to…bullsh*t I mean.

OKA: How do you fund your creative projects?

NM: I work a lot and pray that all works out…so far so good; having people willing to contribute to my work really helps. But I want to do bigger things…The question of financing projects is starting to be a big one.

OKA: Being you are from Angola, what are your thoughts about the general exclusion of Lusophone Africa in Africa Narratives. Or is it that Lusophone Africa excludes itself?

NM: I do think it excludes itself…Lusofone Africa has a kind of boring approach to things…and I’m not sure attitudes are changing. There are, I must say, exciting individuals out here. As a whole I think it is ultimately a matter of attitude. The Portuguese were…we negotiated way too much with them. So much we kind of look alike…in too many things. I do not know…

OKA: What barriers do you face, that you feel are due to being from a Portuguese-speaking African country and overall constraints of being an artist in Angola?

NM: I really have never thought about that…

OKA: What are your thoughts on the global perception of an “African” artist?

NM: F**k that…nothing but boring thoughts regarding that. We need to work and put ourselves out there… Yes art moves in a political circle, but with the world we have today we just need to have a solid, consequent plan. And make sure we understand who is Caesar and how we are going to put it/him on a diet; and make sure we grow… Sh*t I feel a bit diabolical. LOL.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Stream: Dzzz Ent

OKA: Blow our minds here, Is there more to Angola than Kuduro? your thoughts on the rise of its popularity across the continent and globally?

NM: I’m not a fan, but it is undeniable the power it carries. It came from the people and is still dominated by the people…You know that there is more to Angola than Kuduro, but I do not feel like making of that a clear point. I’m proud of what Kuduro is and how it translates what we, as a nation of plural individuals, are capable of achieving. The top Kuduro artist now is Titica. It is a transvestite…that is possible in Angola, and Kuduro is making Angola look at itself in a way that nothing has done for awhile…not in such an instinctive way. Music must have an explanation as to why it works and spreads…but why search for it? I do want to make music or any other thing that becomes popular, but will not get into the dangerous path of…remember what I said about preservation? That is where one might end up if it doesn’t understand beyond the necessary…simpler answer? The world still likes to dance, and have fun to things that confirms to them that Africans are tribal beings, closer to monkeys than they are LOL… I do not know.

OKA: What can we expect from your new album, “Saindo do Armario” (My Blueprint) ?

NM: You do not need to expect… go to my website and choose which platform you want to buy it!!!

Video: Batida ‘Ka Heueh ft. Ngongo’ + LP Release

Batida aka DJ Mpula is the Angolan/Portuguese mind behind the semba-sampling “Yumbala” rhythm — one of our top tracks of last year. “Ka Heueh,” a new concoction, came about as a sort of dare when Batida challenged MC Ngongo to add words to his instrumental. Watch the concert-footage clip for the new track below, filmed at Portugal’s Festival Med. Batida is set to release his eponymous debut LP (cover art above) via Soundway Records.

The Side Eye: Nas Promoter Held Hostage In Angola

Reports state that an American concert promoter and his son are being held “hostage” due to Nas‘ failure to appear at a heavily promoted New Year’s Eve concert in Luanda. Patrick Allocco, a NJ-based promoter, had worked with Angolan promoter Henrique “Riquhino” Miguel to bring Nas to the southern African country.

Miguel wired around $300K to Nas’ camp, but the rapper never even made it on a plane citing “miscommunication” (he did make it to LeBron James’ party in Miami though). Allocco and his son were then allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint and are being held until Nas returns all the $300,000 owed plus an additional $50K for expenses.

There’s a whole lot of details about this story that still remain unclear so we’re side-eyeing the whole episode. Hope everyone stays safe though.

UPDATE: Patrick Allocco explains the Nas/concert/money situation via phone from Angola where he is still being held hostage via VLAD TV, stream below.

Ironic clip of Nas on the lack of American artists performing in Africa below.

Audio: Angola’s Fast Rapper Diamondog ‘Say Word’

Over the last decade, the art of serious Hip Hop lyricism and skill has steadily risen around the globe. One of the places where it has flourished is Germany, particularly Berlin. In a global village where non-American emcees spit multi-syllabic entendres in several languages, Berlin has produced some of the nastiest. At the top of that pile might be MC Diamondog (Diamantino Edgar Capacassa Feijó) who, at last count, could not only rhyme in Portuguese (his primary tongue to spit in), but also English, and German and could do so with the rapid fire delivery of Twista… times 10. Originally from Angola, Diamondog now represents Brazil and Germany as well, and is considered one of the world’s fastest rappers.

Diamondog’s latest single,  “Say Word” (stream below) is what happens when a club anthem meets the rawness of a spitter like Diamondog. While he doesn’t go full speed on this track, his skills are obvious (video above). This is the latest single as part of NYC-based record label Nomadic Wax‘s project-collaboration model, where the label pairs different artists together who would never otherwise meet. In this case, Angolan MC Diamondog teamed up with Brooklyn-based super producer Eliot Leigh (Funk Nouveau). The result is this reggae-tinged, bass driven track with Diamondog’s bars bouncing on a trampoline to keep the dance floor on springs. Diamondog flexes like a vocal pitbull while spitting semi-automatic hollow-tips through the speakers. If you are looking for a hyped up, crowd rocking anthem, this is the one.

-Written by emcee Hired Gun & Magee McIlvaine

Audio: Professor ‘Jezebel (X-Trio Afro-Flavour Remix)’

DJ X-Trio puts a heavy-drum Angolan touch on a South African house classic. He deemed Professor‘s original track “too soft” for the streets of Luanda, so decided to add some intricate percussion and kuduro flavor to the mix. Stream and download X-Trio’s “Jezebel” remix below.

>>Stream/Download:Professor ‘Jezebel (X-Trio Afro-Flavour Remix)’ (via Fader)

Video: Throes & The Shine ‘Batida’

Portugal via Angolan duo The Shine get some distorted MIDI and guitar backing from Porto’s Throes in “Batida” (above) and the older “Wild Rainbows” (below). The two camps combine to create aptly/simply labeled “kuduro rock” music. During its best moments, we really feel the genre concoction. At its worst, our inner ears are left a bit confused. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. (via TB)

What’s Up Africa: AFRICAN REGGAE STAR!!!!

This week on What’s Up Africa, Ikenna highlights the irony of Portugal asking their former colony, Angola for economic assistance. He also caught on to a story OKA brought you earlier this week about the South Korean popstar, K.Will coming back from Africa with his hair braided. Lastly, don’t miss Ikenna swaying along to some East African gospel music called Malebo – nothing makes us happier on this Friday afternoon.

Grab Free Albums From Angolan Kuduro Producers Nirvanas & Beats

Nirvanas & Beats are a production team and label out of Luanda. They’ve crafted instrumentals for top Angolan kuduro groups Os Vagabandas, Os Nirvanas, and Braulio ZP. Some of their joints were also featured in that Bazzerk compilation that came out a minute ago. It seems dudes are pretty comfortable with the whole file-sharing thing, as they basically give away every one of the albums they’ve produced.

Grab Os Vagabanda’s debut Portas Abertas LP and Os Nirvana’s Tomada De Posse below. You can preview what you’ll get with the above clip for Vagabanda’s latest “Sele Ma Sele.” Plenty more free downloads over at Nirvanas & Beats. (via TB)

>>>Download: Os Vagabandas Portas Abertas

>>>Download: Os Nirvanas Tomada De Posse

Audio: Stream Buraka Som Sistema’s ‘Komba’ In Its Entirety

Today marks the North American release of Buraka Som Sistema‘s sophomore LP. In commemoration, the crew have put the entire album up for listen. Stream the electronic/kuduro infested Komba over at Spin/AOL now and watch the music video for lead single “(We Stay) Up All Night” below.