Kizomba Angola’s Ballroom Dance
(AGN) A fusion of African rhythm and romantic music, a slow sensuous dance with your partner in a close embrace, Angola’s kizomba seems to be slowly dancing its way into the hearts of many looking for a new dance experience.
Kizomba is growing in popularity due to the relative simplicity of its movements, whose basic 1-2 steps don’t require one to lift his/her feet high off the ground. It does however require a bit of flexibility at the knees. The man leads the dance, beginning with his left foot, but the thrill of the dance is in not in executing complex maneuvers but in enjoying the inevitable sensual thrill that comes from dancing with a partner so close to you.
Kizomba tracks are often in Portuguese or Portuguese-derived creoles.
Kizomba’ is used to identify the dance and also a genre of music, both of which originated from Angola, but had slightly different influences.
The term ‘kizomba’ exists in Angola’s Kimbundu language, where it is used to refer to a party. However, there doesn’t seem to be a direct relation between such traditional parties, famous in the ‘50s (‘kizombadas’) and the modern music and dance known as kizomba.
The modern-day kizomba (dance and music) is believed to have developed sometime between the early 70s and 80s, based on semba, a traditional Angolan music/dance. Brazil’s world-famous samba developed from semba, which was transplanted to Brazil by slaves from Angola (both countries were Portuguese colonies, and Angola was a source of slaves from as far back as the 15th century).
Kizomba music was heavily influenced by zouk, a carnival song that came to Angola from the faraway French Overseas Department of Guadeloupe. The difference between semba music and kizomba music is that in the latter the pace is slower, and the theme generally romantic; semba has a faster pace and the theme varied but often some cautionary tale or an issue pertinent to daily life.
The Kizomba dance is semba with a bit of Angolan merengue, kilapanda, and other traditional dances. There is also a touch of Cuban influence, as Cubans were present in a significant majority from 1975 (the start of Angolan civil war) to 1991. The Cuban influence is seen in moves drawn from cha-cha-cha, and tango/milonga.
Because of its mixed heritage, kizomba is relatively easy to master for a person who knows a thing or two about South American ballroom dances; conversely, it makes it easy for a person to make the transition from it to such dances.
Do not be surprised if you see a kizomba center opening near you.
By Matengo Chwanya
Sources: Kizombadance, Kizombalove, Decalcomb
Africa Global News Publication
