Brief History about Kizomba

Existing since the 80s, Kizomba is an African dance that, in recent years, has won the heart of many pairs dancing in clubs and discos around the world. With its own very particular steps, rhythms and music, who knows how to dance Kizomba doesn’t want another thing and who do not know, just wants to learn!

Kizomba is a term that derives from another Angolan terminology "Kimbundo" which means "party". Kizomba as we know it today has been built from the merger between various genres of music and dance steps, being a real mixture of dance styles. It is impossible to speak about Kizomba without speaking in the traditional dances that preceded and influenced it: Semba (the predecessor of Samba), Zouk (from the islands Antilles), Coladeira (from Cape Verde), not forgetting the big contribution to the solidification of Kizomba that came from Tango and Merengue.

The Capeverdean version of kizomba is called pasada, kola-zouk, zouk-love or cabo-love. It is divergent from Angolan kizomba due to the language used (often Capeverdean Creole instead of Portuguese), a somewhat more romantic Capeverdean kizomba is the sub-genre named Cabo love. Although all these varieties are often just known as "kizomba" by the public. Suzanna Lubrano is one of the most successful among Cape verdean performers considered in 2003 as the best African performer, other known Cape verdeans are Gil Semedo, Philip Monteiro, Gama and Tó Semedo. Notable emigrant Capeverdean singers within this tradition live in Portugal and in the Netherlands.