Semba

A traditional type of music from the Southern-African country of Angola. Semba is the predecessor to a variety of music styles originated from Africa, of which three of the most famous are Samba (from Brazil), Kizomba (Angolan style of music comparable to Zouk music) and Kuduro (or Kuduru, energetic, fast-paced Angolan Techno music, so to speak).

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Barcel? de Carvalho, the Angolan singer popularly known as Bonga, is arguably the most successful Angolan artist to popularize Semba music internationally; it generally being categorised as World music.

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The subject matter of Semba is oftentimes a cautionary tale regarding day-to-day social events and activities, usually sung in a witty rhetoric. Through Semba music, the artist is able to convey a broad spectrum of emotions. It is this characteristic that has made Semba the premiere style of music for a wide variety of Angolan social gatherings: Its versatility of use being evident in its inevitable presence at funerals and, on the other hand, as an ideal form of music to get an Angolan party started.

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Semba is very much alive and popular in Angola today as it was long before that country's independence from the Portuguese colonial system on November 11, 1975. Various new Semba artists keep emerging yearly in Angola, as they render homage to the veteran Semba masters, many of which are still performing.

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Music: Music is a natural intuitive phenomenon operating in the three worlds of time, pitch, energy, and under the three distinct and interrelated organization structures of rhythm, harmony, and melody....

Southern-African: REDIRECT Southern Africa...

Angola: Angola is a country in southwestern Africa bordering Namibia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia, and with a west coast along the Atlantic Ocean. The exclave province Cabinda has a border with Congo-Brazzaville. A former Portuguese colony, it has considerable natural resources, among w...