Kandandu - Bonga (1980)

Whether it is a morna from Cape Verde, a revolutionary song from Guinea Bissau, a nineteenth century horns and percussion piece, or any one of the songs that draw on his Angolan roots, Bonga produced one of his finest albums in 1980. Kandandu is simply a masterpiece from the Angolan superstar. Listening to this exquisitely beautiful album years ago is what led me to collect any Bonga recording I could find.

One of my early posts on this site was a 1984 release from this great musician, and that post had a fair amount of information about Bonga. Accordingly I write sparingly about the man today, and rush this music to you. The songs that feature Bonga singing along with simple percussion and lovely acoustic guitars, like the sublime title cut "Um Kandandu Amigo" and "Nguzu," are terribly moving. Others will have you dancing. It's no wonder that his gravelly voice became the epitome of Angolan popular music.

Enjoy!