Disco-bar in São Tomé. Photo by Inna Moody.
This is part of series of posts in my effort to research the culture and politics of São Tomé and Príncipe for my upcoming film Paradise, Inc. São Tomé has not produced internationally famous names. However there is colorful mixture of local musicians.
Africa Negra
Africa Negra is perhaps the best known ofthe local bands. They have given concerts in Lisbon and travel around the island. There’s a great post about the band based on interview with the band members through its long history on Voice of America. “Every Saturday and Sunday evening, during the four months of the dry season (June through September), villages throughout Sao Tome come together to shuffle to the warm pulse of the island’s most popular dance rhythms.”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnId_LWBR-I
Voice of America
Voice of America has a large transmitter on the island to relay radio to the continent. The thinking behind that is that the island has been very peaceful and there is less danger to the transmissions. The Wikipedia entry on the matter describes the music as a “asdadasdasd”. The Real Africa provides a sizable collection of music videos by the local artist. Puita is a large drum.
Canal Santola
Dely Amorim has uploaded a large collection of African music on YouTube, including some Santomean tunes. This probably needs a separate post.
Don Santana
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1Q84QYsb3Q
Sangazuza, Juka. From abroad: Loony Johnson, Haylton DiasCamilo Domingos
Kizomba
One of the most popular places to go out is the nightclub Kizomba in the capital.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBNNiJrIhNU
Beach Club
Another is Beach Club (with the popular DJ Alma). Check out the rest of the videos including an interview with DJ Alma after the break.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-W_aVqsAoU
Sebastiana
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbkBBZjBZX4
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ca_757mn8E