The war in Angola finished four years ago now, but concerts in Luanda are still rare. True, certain international stars like the American Jay Z or Cape Verdean diva Cesaria Evora have occasionally dropped in to perform at the "Salle Karl Marx." But audiences appear to have forgotten who Karl Marx and the other great figures of the old Marxist regime ever were. Their eyes are fixed on new horizons and when the French DJ Frédéric Galliano arrived in town for an African Diva concert, organised in collaboration with the local Alliance Française, he got a very warm welcome. All the more so as the concert took place in the hip new beachside venue, Miami Beach.

After the show, the DJ-explorer headed into town and came across a fascinating new sound, currently all the rage amongst Luandan youth. He heard his first burst of kuduro (from the French "cul dur" or "hard arse") issuing from a car radio and was instantly hooked. "This is the sound of the future" Galliano enthuses, "the first kind of electronic music to come out of Africa! Kuduro combines the freshness of electronica with the sensuality of offbeat African rhythms. It's got a really fast beat like techno or Brazilian batucadas and the vocals are placed offbeat almost like zouk."

So impressed was Galliano by what he heard that he headed back to Luanda to record his own kuduro album with local celebrities including young producers and vocalists. And being the innovative DJ that he is, Galliano also found time to produce three compilations by Luandan artists: one by Paulo Flores, the king of semba, the others by two up-and-coming stars, Dog Murras and Manya. And the good news is they're all coming to Europe for an exceptional one-off tour. Miss it at your peril!