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BATIDA

Konono No 1

Konono No 1 Meets Batida

    For this new album, the legendary Congolese band has joined forces with acclaimed Angolan / Portuguese artist Batida aka Pedro Coquenão. Along with producer Vincent Kenis, they convened in Batida's garage-cum-studio in Lisbon with a series of collaborators and friends of Batida's, reflecting the city's vibrant, cosmopolitan music life: guitarist Papa Juju (the leader of Lisbon's foremost Afro-fusion band Terrakota), vocalist Selma Uamusse (one of the best young African singers currently residing in Portugal) and MC AF Diaphra, a distinguished slam poet and an artist / producer in his own right. As we all know by now, Konono N°1 are based in Kinshasa, DRC, but originate from the Bakongo ethnic group, which lives in a region straddling the border between the Congo and Angola. Hence certain similarities between Konono's rhythms and some types of Angolan music from which Batida has drawn inspiration for his albums and shows. This encounter was obviously bound to happen… but was nevertheless quite an adventure: blending the worlds of electronic beats and organic grooves was a challenge to which the parties have risen beautifully to create this exciting, unheard-of new strain of Afro-electro music.

    Batida release new album “Dois” via Soundway Records. Strands of afro-house, kuduro, benga, semba, samples from The Clash and old Angolan movies and afro-beat tracks, African MCs and musicians from all over the world are all deftly mixed together by Pedro Coquenão.

    Inspired by the multicultural hotbed of his home city of Lisbon and trips to Nairobi and back to Luanda, ‘Dois’ was predominately produced in his own garage-studio over a two-year period.

    In 2012 Batida’s explosive self-titled debut came out on Soundway Records. Mixing the syncopated rhythms of Kuduro with elements of 1970s Semba and Congolese-influenced guitar licks, Pedro Coquenão won fans for an album that “demanded movement” (The Line of Best Fit) and “gave a view of the old and new, the West and Africa.” (The Guardian)

    Much of the remix and sampling spirit from the first record remains but ‘Dois’ also features live instrumentation along with a host of different guests.

    English, Portuguese, Quicongo and Zulu languages all feature on ‘Luxo’ with Spoek Mathambo (South Africa) & his crew contributing the lyrics together with Angolan MC Sacerdote and a guitar riff by Duncan Lloyd (Maximo Park). On 'Céu' Coquenão pushes things in a deeper direction, dis-assembling and reforming elements of the Francois & The Atlas Mountains studio sessions of the track 'Les Plus Beaux' .

    TRACK LISTING

    Side 1
    1. Pobre E Rico
    2. Ta Doce
    3. Mama Watoto
    4. Luxo
    5. Bantu
    Side 2
    1. Ugali
    2. Fica Atento!
    3. La Vai Maria
    4. Chat With Mr.Ochieng
    5. Ceu

    Batida

    Batida

      Being the first of a string of brand new projects, this eponymous first album sees Soundway taking a slightly different direction in 2012 and beyond. Championed mostly for their work in un-earthing and re-releasing classic, rare and vintage tropical recordings, Soundway have started signing new acts that have drawn on and been inspired by the kind of music found on the label’s groundbreaking compilations and re-issues. What originally started out as a radio show designed to promote new African music has slowly evolved into a collaborative project crossing continents.

      Here the label releases the debut album from Batida, the brainchild of Angolan / Portuguese DJ Mpula aka Pedro Coquenão. A distinctly modern and vibrant project with its feet firmly rooted in the past, Batida combine samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern electronic dance music. Music is the starting point but through dance, graphics, photography, radio and video, Batida expands, taking in politics and social commentary but always bringing it back to the party.

      Whereas nearly all of kuduro (Angolan electronic music) has no obvious references to its country’s musical heritage, it is deeply engrained in Batida’s music. Sampling tracks from 1970s Angola, Batida is a reinterpretation of Angola’s musical past, bringing it firmly into the modern day. Batida’s high energy live show features dancers, live samples, percussionists, MCs alongside visuals and images (both archive and new) of Angolan streets, war and fragments of tribal life.


      STAFF COMMENTS

      Philippa says: The brainchild of Angolan / Portuguese DJ Mpula aka Pedro Coquenão, Batida are a distinctly modern and vibrant project combining samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern electronic dance music.


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