Paulo Flores, composer and singer, has been a major influence in Angolan music for 25 years. This is his first show in London, accompanied by a stellar line up.
His sweet, vibrant and deep voice sings personal and collective stories expressing desires of everyday life. He speaks of the extraordinary resilience of the Angolan people, their energy and vitality in the face of adversity. Paulo was in the frontline of the Kizomba (which means party in Kimbundu) movement, a fusion of zouk Antillean with Congolese and Angolan rhythms. Paulo also takes the traditional Semba and fuses it with more modern sounds including jazz and soul.
His voice is sweet and warm, vibrant and deep, and is inspired by Luanda´s urban tradition and tells us stories of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Paulo Flores
Born in Luanda, Paulo Flores spent his childhood in Lisbon, with regular trips to Angola. Through his great-aunt and his father, Cabé, DJ and music lover, Paulo Flores found strong links with his country’s culture, but also with the blues, soul and jazz of African-American culture.
With Carlitos Vieira Dias, renowned Angolan guitarist in the 70s, Paulo Flores makes his first incursions into traditional Semba. Authentic, unique rhythms marked by guitars and melodies in minor keys. Angolan laments alternate with dance rhythms that combine acoustic and electric instruments. Paulo created a Semba that corresponded to his feelings, fusing tradition and modernity. In 2008 Paulo Flores celebrated 20 years of career in a fabulous show, which attracted more than 20,000 people of different generations, in Coqueiros, Luanda.