Every week resident FADER selector Eddie STATS runs through dancehall riddims and other artifacts from the ghetto archipelago.
If you reside in the blogosphere, you would not be totally crazy to think that kuduro’s 15 seconds of fame were pretty much over before the countdown even started, the alpha/omega being DJ Znobia’s infamous non-appearance on M.I.A’s sophomore LP Kala. By the time Buraka Som Sistema started to get some vibes in the dance world, kuduro’s online representatives were limited to 1) BSS, 2) DJ Znobia and 3) BSS ft MIA and DJ Znobia, and you might have reasonably wondered if anybody in Angola was still making this shit or if it was just a figment of Frederic Galliano’s worldbeat fantasies. I experienced something similar with coupe decale after Radioclit put out a 12” from the single best dude in Cote D’Ivoire. Based on a random survey of downloadable coupe decale songs it appeared for a second like lightning struck exactly once and nobody else happened to be standing close enough to Bablee to get shocked.
But a few things have happened this week to indicate that there is some life in the old Mothership yet. UK rapper Afrikan Boy jumped on “Bablee Samuz” for a mixtape joint. Dudes from Africaincorp hit us up and were excited enough about Ghetto Palms/FADER.com coverage of Bablee that they started sending me new music, making a "Coupe Decale 2: The Electric Boogaloo" column that much more likely in the near future. Meanwhile back in Angola, Mad Decent gave away the keys to the cidade when they put me on to the existence of kudurofiles.
Kuduro Pt. 2 blend:
Os Defaya, “E´ Show”
Os Kambridgianos, “No Maya”
Buraka Som Sistema, “Deeejay”
DJ Massacre, “Mata Me”
DJ Olavo, “Matuba Yoyo”
Mana Socota, “Noite e Dia”