Pongo, the champion of Angolan kudurista, performs the fiery “Bruxos” on the Colors show ahead of her debut LP.
Pongo has come a long way since “Kalemba (Wegue Wegue),” the breakout hit by Buraka Som Sistema in 2008, which featured Pongo as a teenager known as Pongolove. After a return to relative anonymity, it wasn’t until 2019 that Pongo made a comeback as a solo artist with the EP Baia, marked by impressive singles like “Kuzola” and “Chora.” Last year, she confirmed her status as “queen of kuduro” with her second EP, the fizzy and vibrant UWA.
Walking the line between her kuduro roots and stylistic emancipation, the Lisbon-based Luanda native prepares her debut album. “Bruxos,” which means “Sorcerers” in Portuguese, is the single she performed at the Colors Show, an infectious track whose energy characterizes her energy as an artist. The French multifaceted beatmakers King Doudou and Lazy Flow join her from the global glub scene as well as the Reunionese DJ Tony 438 (as heard on Jahyanaï’s and Meryl’s tracks) and MA Work. Pongo dedicates this moment to four central pillars in her identity: Angola, kuduro, Lisbon and Africa.
