Bonga

Bonga is the sole spokesman for the richness of Angolan music, supported on international stages by his younger brother Waldemar Bastos. A politically committed artist, Bonga began by denouncing Portuguese colonization in the 70s: his albums Angola 72 and Angola 74 focus on this theme. Exiled by Salazar's regime, Bonga continued a fight that extended after Angola's independence to the country's corrupt elites. To listen to a Bonga album is to plunge into a music that is at once African, European and Brazilian, of unprecedented finesse and richness, and of moving sensitivity. Bairro, released in 2008, is no exception. Despite the weight of years, Bonga loses none of his verve on Hora Kota in 2012.