Engracia Domingos da Silva, known by the name of Pongo, was born in Luanda, Angola Africa, and was raised in Lisbon Portugal. After reading about Pongo, I came to learn that she grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood which made social alienation and discrimination a daily reality. Through a foot injury requiring multiple doctor visits, Pongo discovered an ethnically diverse neighborhood in Lisbon where Kudoro thrived. The energetic and punchy dance music born in Luanda in the late 1980s became a staple of Pongo’s sound ever since her musical debut at just 15 years old with Portugal’s favorite electronic crew, Buraka Som Sistema. Her sound has further evolved into its unique blend of Electronic, Pop, and hip-hop styles, layered with Portuguese and Kimbundu rap verses that largely reflect Pongo’s struggles as a young African woman trying to make it in Portugal’s music scene.
Kuduro is an energetic trans-Atlantic clash of genres — including hip-hop, house, zouk, and soca — and Pongo adds extra layers, blending them with current electronic styles and mixing in a contemporary pop flavor. Ponga uses Kuduro as a foundation and incorporates other musical languages, like electronic sounds and Latin flourishes into her music.
Pongo elevated the existence of Kuduro by marrying different sounds and influences with sounds from Portugal. She represents her homeland of Luanda, Angola by using a language (Kuduro) first spoken by the people of Angola, to show others how it is still evolving and has much of an influence even today. Pongo’s unique sound too represents the african diaspora and hip-hop in Africa by allowing her roots and her innovative approach to hip-hop and music to shine through. As Hip-hop takes on many different forms and sounds, it too has been a genre that has evolved to be one of the most complex, unique, and diverse. The beauty of Pongo embodying her diversity through her music highlights exactly what hip-hop was born to do and that tells stories of individuals translating their unique backgrounds.
