Pongo

Name, where are you from?
My name is Pongo, I’m from Angola.

Describe your style in three words?
Authentic, different, bright.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
I'm going to talk about a show I watched recently, not that I haven't seen others that I consider to have been the best, given the pandemic situation, I have to talk about the show by singer Paulo Flores, who is one of the Angolan artists of the Semba musical style that I like. Paulo is authentic within his style that has been part of history in Angolan musical culture for a decade or more. In the middle of the pandemic situation in which we find ourselves globally and which has affected us a lot, seeing him together with other guest artists at the Coliseu, one of the biggest concert halls in Lisbon, brought together a large part of the African community in Portugal on this day to dance to remember with a lot of nostalgia the successive successful old cassettes throughout his career that even today continue to touch a lot in our hearts.

If you could be on the line up with any two artists in history?
Grace Jones and Rihanna because I like them for their inspiring authenticity. And I would love to meet them one day.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
The subcultures that have influenced me are Guiné-Bissau, Cabo Verde, Nigéria and Brazil because these countries with Portuguese-speaking subcultures (and English subculture in the case of Nigeria) maintain their identity somehow regardless of where they are geographically, maintaining their customs and beliefs.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Lourdes Van-Dúnem. Because she was a woman who in the '60s made her passage in the history of Angolan music, left many cultural inspirations that even today helps many artists and people like me to feel more and more the need to review our origins.

Of all the venues you’ve been to or played, which is your favourite?
I recently performed at the Rio Locco festival that took place in Toulouse, France on June 18th. I was surprised by a very hot audience that was full of energy despite the weather situation that day, which was not at all favourable (even putting the likelihood of the show going ahead into doubt) but it was still amazing. One of the first concerts of the year 2021 after so many months without stepping on stage, this is my most recent favourite venue I have visited and played, but also because I love big stages too.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
Djibril Cissé.

Pongo recently released her new track 'Bruxos' which you can listen, purchase or stream via pongouk.lnk.to/BRUXOSSo.

Pongo is also looking to tour the UK later in 2021, details can be found at linktr.ee/PONGO_UK_TOUR2021.