Buraka Som Sistema

Most observers might regard Buraka Som Sistema’s swift emergence as worldwide emissaries of kuduro, the Angolan dance style, as abrupt. Their ascent to prominence, however, had actually been underway for years. Three founding participants—LilJohn (b. João Barbosa), Riot (b. Rui Pité), and Kalaf (b. Kalaf Ângelo)—had already worked together since 2002 inside the jungle and drum’n’bass crew Cooltrain Crew, with Kalaf handling MC duties while the other two concentrated on DJ sets and production. In 2004 the same trio launched the nu-jazz project One Week Project and issued a lone album that drew widespread critical praise.

Growing enthusiasm for kuduro prompted the 2006 formation of Buraka Som Sistema. The venture began as an ordinary club night, where the members encountered their fourth colleague, MC and producer Conductor (b. Andro Carvalho), whose earlier work with the eclectic hip-hop outfit Conjunto Ngonguenha had already earned critical notice. Word-of-mouth momentum soon produced sold-out club sessions and warmly received appearances on Portugal’s summer festival circuit. That September the limited-edition debut EP From Buraka to the World arrived, rapidly selling through its pressing amid strong reviews, while domestic radio and video exposure for the track “Yah” intensified until it approached saturation levels by the beginning of 2007.

International curiosity followed. The low-profile 7" single Yah/Sem Makas quickly attracted attention once influential club DJs began championing it, generating wider interest in the group. A string of well-received singles and high-profile live dates across several continents solidified their profile over the next twelve months. The sequence reached its high point in November 2008 with the European release of the long-awaited debut album Black Diamond, which collected generally favorable notices from critics.