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Lisbon: the European heart of the Afro-electronic scene

Portugal

July 7, 2020

Story by: Wil Crisp
Photography and translation: Pedro Guimarães

I.c.w. Are We Europe
*tradução para português abaixo

Lisbon has seen a vibrant explosion in its Afro-Portuguese electronic music scene in the past years. Its thriving network of clubs and underground venues has drawn in both music fans and musicians from around the world. Lisbon-based labels including Enchufada, Principe and Celeste Mariposa have been the driving force behind the booming scene – providing a hub for up-and-coming artists as well as putting on eclectic party nights showcasing music that blend Western, African and Latin musical influences in unique ways.

Some of the key venues that have been part of the boom include B.Leza, a nightclub that is dedicated to African music, and Music Box, which has hosted Principe’s monthly club night ‘Noite Príncipe’. Lx Factory, which is located on the site of an old industrial complex, has also become a key venue for parties that are showcasing electronic music influenced by African genres like zouk, kuduro, kizomba and funaná.

“In the past there was a big difference between the African scene and the more Western music scene,” says Branko, a former member of the trail-blazing electronic dance music project Buraka Som Sistema and one of the founders of Enchufada.


Duet PiniPuki in a kuduro dancing session

“There was always a separation for a variety of reasons, including the different dress codes that clubs had and the geography of Lisbon. Nowadays, parties have become more open and there is more inclusion of everybody and everything – at the same time.


Kizomba night at B.Leza  

“The nights playing music with Angolan origins are not just for black kids anymore, and the parties that play more Western electronic music are not just being attended by white kids these days. As the culture surrounding this music has changed, the sound of music that is being created in the city has also evolved.”

   

Kizomba Dancers

Wilson Vilares, the founder of Celeste Mariposa, agrees: “Many of the producers making music today in Lisbon have grown up on records brought to the country by migrants, like funaná from Cape Verde and Angolan kuduro,” says Vilares. “At the same time they’ve been exposed to international techno, house DJs and Brazilian baile funk artists that come to Lisbon on tour. Some of Lisbon’s best producers are creating music that draws from all these different influences and results in something that is unique to the city.”

One foreign artist that has been sucked into Lisbon’s Afro-Latin electronic underworld is the French iZem, who moved to Lisbon in 2013 and has since become a key player in the city’s electronic music scene, releasing his Beni Lane EP on Enchufada in 2018.

“Going to the first Principe club nights made a huge impact on me,” he says.“When I first moved to the city producers like Maboku and LiloCox made a big impression on me. I saw them a few times and every time I was totally blown away. The raw rhythmic approach they have and the way that it functioned on the dancefloor was really stimulating for me and has definitely informed my own approach. Compared to more common house or techno, it is night and day.”


Wilson Vilares, founder of Celeste Mariposa

iZem says that the scene has changed dramatically over the last five years and he has met dozens of DJs and producers who have moved to the city from places like the US, England and Germany.


Kizomba night at B.Leza

While the party scene has been temporarily set back by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down clubs and venues across Portugal, those within Lisbon’s Afro-electronic scene believe that it is likely to bounce back with even more momentum as the country continues to emerge from its lockdown.

“DJs and producers are drawn in by the city’s vibe,” says iZem. “There are different tribes and different groups – but everyone is happy to be part of the scene.”

—————————————-tradução para português————————————

Lisboa: no coração da cena Afrobeat.

Lisboa tem, nos últimos anos, sido o palco privilegiado de uma explosão de eventos relacionados com a música electrónica Luso-Africana. Contando com uma rede em expansão de discotecas, salas de dança e outros locais informais, Lisboa tem atraído entusiastas e músicos de todo o mundo

Entre as editoras e produtores Lisboetas que têm impulsionado esta cena vibrante estão Enchufada, Príncipe e Celeste Mariposa – juntos têm criado as condições para que novos artistas emergentes encontrem um lugar de visibilidade na cena noturna, organizado para tal festas ecléticas onde tradições musicais Ocidentais se misturam com outros ingredientes Africanos e Latinos em combinações absolutamente únicas.

Alguns do locais mais importantes que têm beneficiado deste boom são o B.Leza, um clube noturno e salão de dança dedicado à música Africana, e o bar Music Box, que tem sido palco das sessões mensais conhecidas como “Noite Príncipe”, organizadas por Príncipe.

Também o conhecido espaço Lx Factory, localizado num antigo complexo industrial entretanto reconvertido em espaço de lazer, tem organizado inúmeros eventos de música electrónica com forte influência de géneros Africanos como o zouk, kuduro, kizomba e funaná.

“No passado havia uma grande diferença entre a cena Africana e a cena da música Ocidental” diz Branko, antigo membro do projeto de sucesso mundial Buraka Som Sistema e um dos fundadores de Enchufada.

“Tem havido sempre uma separação por diversos motivos, incluindo diferenças nas etiquetas de vestuário de certos clubes e a própria geografia de Lisboa. Hoje em dia as festas são muito mais abertas, há mais inclusão de tudo e todos, em simultâneo.”

“As noites de música Angolana já não são só para miúdos negros e as festas onde passa mais música eletrónica Ocidental já não são só frequentadas por miúdos brancos. À medida que a cultura em volta da música vai mudando, as novas sonoridades que são criadas na cidade também vão evoluindo.”

Wilson Vilares, fundador de Celeste Mariposa, concorda.

“Muitos dos produtores de música eletrónica de Lisboa hoje em dia cresceram a ouvir discos trazidos para o país por imigrantes, como o funaná de Cabo Verde e o kuduro de Angola.” diz Vilares. “Ao mesmo tempo que foram expostos às tendências internacionais do techno, house e às sonoridades Brasileiras do baile funk. Alguns dos melhores produtores de Lisboa estão a criar música influenciada por todas essas ondas e o resultado é algo único que só existe nesta cidade.”

Um dos artistas estrangeiros que foi assimilado pela cena underground Afrobeat lisboeta é o Francês iZem, que se mudou para Lisboa em 2013 e tem sido, desde então, uma personagem fundamental da cena da música eletrônica, tendo lançado o seu EP Beni Lane em 2018 através da Enchufada.

“Ir às primeiras noites Príncipe teve um impacto gigante em mim”, diz o próprio. “Quando me mudei para a cidade, produtores como Maboku e LiliCox tiveram uma forte influência. Vi-os uma série de vezes e de todas as vezes fiquei absolutamente estupefato. A abordagem crua ao ritmo que eles imprimem e a forma como isso se nota na pista de dança foi um estímulo importante que mudou a minha própria abordagem como produtor. Comparado com o house e o techno tradicionais, a diferença é a mesma entre dia e noite.

iZem diz que a cena musical tem vindo a mudar radicalmente pelo menos nos últimos cinco anos e que tem conhecido dezenas de DJs e produtores que se mudaram para Lisboa vindos de locais como os Estados Unidos, Inglaterra e Alemanha.

Embora a maior parte das festas tem vindo a ser cancelada, fruto da pandemia COVID-19, o que tem significado o fecho temporário de clubes e discotecas em Portugal inteiro, os adeptos da cena Afrobeat lisboeta acreditam que é uma questão de tempo até que este movimento volte com ainda mais vigor.

“Os DJs e produtores são atraídos pela vibe da cidade” diz iZem. “Há diferentes tribos e diferentes grupos – mas todos estão contentes por fazer parte da mesma cena.”

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