This vibrant burst of colour and energy is the video for Alegria, one of the tracks from Batida, project and debut album of Angolan/Portuguese DJ Mpula (Pedro Coquenão) on which he combines samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern electronic dance music. It's been described as the sound of the wildest Angolan street party and it's no exaggeration.
The music is merely a starting point for a multimedia show that includes dance, graphics, photography, radio and video, takes in politics and social commentary but always brings it back to the party. You can probably guess that a project that features dancers, percussionists, DJs, MCs alongside the visuals and images (both archive and new) of Angolan streets, war and fragments of tribal life is probably best experienced live, so if you get the chance, don't miss them.
This particular track has a Kuduro beat and elements of Semba (the predecessor to a variety of music styles originating in Africa, including Samba, Kizomba and Kuduro), thus crossing Electronica with African psychedelia.
Batida is out worldwide (CD/LP and digital) on the 19th of March on Soundway Records. Tracklist below.
BATIDA
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
