Sakidila

Angolan-born, Lisbon-based singer and rapper Pongo already gained notoriety within the field of forward-thinking kuduro with her collaborations with Buraka Som Sistema stretching back to 2008. After a series of singles, EPs and high-energy live shows, her debut is finally here.

Sakidila starts more on the laid-back side. The heavy beats of the kuduro club make way for classy R&B and chilled influences from Brazil and the Caribbean. This section is definitely the most pop-oriented, and while it’s pretty much inoffensive, Pongo really comes into her own halfway through the album when she turns up the heat. The highlights of the album come from its second half, starting with the track ‘Começa’ – the beats are harder, the bass is darker and the vocals delivered with a little bit more poison. Influences from hip-hop, amapiano and even soukous give each track an interesting, individual identity and ‘Wegue Wegue’, a delightful rework of Pongo’s first hit with Buraka Som Sistema, shows 14 additional years of musical maturity. Pongo uses this debut to explore her musical range, but it’s the moments where the energy matches her frenetic live performances that show you what she’s truly capable of.