Pongo

Pongo from Portugal first rose to attention via her vocal work alongside the Lisbon collective Buraka Som Sistema, most notably on their 2008 Spanish number one single "Kalemba (Wegue-Wegue)," before she began releasing music independently in 2018. Born in Angola, she spent her youth in Lisbon's suburbs immersed in Kuduro, R&B, and pop. Her father gave her the early stage name Pongolove, drawn from Congolese vocalist M'Pongo Love, and under that name she supplied vocals to Buraka Som Sistema's 2008 hit single "Kalemba (Wegue-Wegue)." She went on to collaborate with Quantic and Massivedrum in the years that followed. A decade after that initial exposure she issued her debut solo EP, Baia, a seven-track set fusing Kuduro, EDM, and pop that showcased the infectious track "Tambulaya."