It’s precisely because Big Ali took the risk of introducing Kuduro to the rest of the world that Lucenzo, a young French author-composer of Portuguese origin, called on his talents. “Big Ali was really adaptable, and that wouldn’t have been the case with more trash or underground rappers,” explained Lucenzo, to whom we owe the hit Emigrante del mundo.

But what is Kuduro exactly? It’s a dance that originated in Angola around 25 years ago, mixing African tribal rhythm with Portuguese song. Kuduro, derived from “cu duro” means something like “hard backside”.

To begin with, Kuduro was only played by the drivers of “cadongueiros”, the shared taxis in Luanda, usually accompanied by very militant lyrics. The duet formed by Big Ali and Lucenzo has kept the essence of Kuduro: a party atmosphere, where everyone dances with everyone else, be they young or old, until they are completely worn out.

Nicola Sanders