DJ Killamu and Mestre Ara form Guetto Produções, a fully independent studio with some of the biggest names in kuduro. This picture was taken outside the studio, at Killamu’s house in Rangel. Rangel is a municipio famous for its kudurists and DJs, kids flock from all over Luanda to record in studios like Killamu’s. Now this guy… anybody who’s listened to kuduro should know about him. He’s been around for a decade, has made beats for the biggest names in kuduro, Noite Día, Puto Prata, and now a HUGE hit by Big Nelo and Vagabanda. Killamu’s production is more minimal and a little more crossover than most, he uses more synths, and has a pretty clean sound… at least as clean as Angolan kuduro goes!
On a kuduro map of Luanda, Marçal is unavoidable, and within Marçal, Kamone is a mainstay. We first met him at TV Marçal, and this picture was taken by his house, a couple of blocks away. Kids passed by screaming his name out loud, singing his songs, then stayed around to watch the photo shoot…. foreigners are not exactly a common sight around there, let alone foreigners with a camera hanging with one of the bairro’s kuduro princes.
Kamone is one of the friendliest and most easy going kudurists we met in Luanda. He is very eager to spread his music outside of Angola, s from the first time we met he’s been very interested in Akwaaba’s work. As we’ve seen so many times in Angola and Africa, there are so few – if any – opportunities for most of these musicians outside of their land, so once we establish enough trust, we can start spreading the music.
