To be honest, we don’t really remember how Max showed up on our radar… did he ask for a Killamu promo? Did we comment on one of his pungent sets? How can it already be a blur?!?! Whatever the case may be, we’re glad we connected, this cat’s been making noise in Brussels with his MDD crew, pushing kuduro, cumbia, coupé décalé or kwaito, without neglecting European flavors such as uk funky, dubstep or grime. So Killamu fit right into his routine, and we hope you dig this mix!
Killamu is one of the most respected kuduro beat makers in Angola. He has been part of the kuduro scene for ten years now, and started producing tracks for Gueto Produções with Mestre Ara eight years ago. The duo quickly established their production house as one of the very best in Luanda, collaborating with many of Angola’s most innovative kudurists: laying tracks for artists such as Puto Prata, Noite e Día and Fofandó & Saborosa, together they have paved the way for the next generation of hard-hitting, rhyme-spitting kuduro lyricists.
With a slew of hits behind his name, Killamu has become an unavoidable producer on the kuduro circuit. But as this album shows, his versatility allows him to explore sounds beyond kuduro, starting with kizomba (Angolan zouk), but also, and perhaps most importantly for Western audiences, his experimentations into more instrumental, electronic kuduro beats have definitely set him aside within Angola’s kuduro community.
Killamu’s full length album is coming out this Tuesday January 12. Til then, get your mouth watering as BBRAVE squeezes the album’s potency into a 30 minute set of pure 140bpm Angolan batidas… Pick your poison: Mixcloud, Soundcloud, Fairtilizer, or just stay here, listen a download!
[audio:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/330960/Music/killamu_mixtape.mp3]
Not sure who took this photo… but whoever took it did a great job. As we start 2010 we hope to get back to Luanda very soon, the music and energy were so inspiring… and as the African Cup of Nations approaches, surely the levels of energy – or straight up chaos! – in Luanda must be reaching new highs!!!! Saudades das pessoas que conhecemos em Angola… feliz ano novo!!!
Akwaaba meets Killamu in front of his home and studio in Luanda, Angola. Killamu’s been making kuduro beats for close to a decade, and explains the stories and realities of kuduro in Angola today. We highly recommend you watch the video in HD on Vimeo!
Enjoy the tease, Killamu’s full length album comes out January 12, 2010. If you haven’t already, go download Killamu’s song Flaminguinho right here for free.
You may remember Killamu’s remix of Tiramakossa on our Akwaaba Sem Transportekuduro compilation. His full album A Minha Face comes out very soon, starting with an iTunes exclusive January 12, 2010. We couldn’t resist to give you a free preview of one of his bangin’ kuduro beats. It was hard to pick one, the album features a handful of instrumental kuduro beats, as well as “regular” songs with some of Luanda’s finest lyricists. And even a couple kizomba tracks!
We look forward to unveiling the entire album, but in the meantime, we hope you dig Flaminguinho, a nice ingredient to blend into your mixes, o DJ friends. Blast it, pass it, slice it, dice it, and if you have a mix send it over, we can feature it here in our podcast. Feedback is always appreciated as well!
