Bonga — the voice of semba

23 January 2027 · Martin's Château du Lac, Genval · Brussels

Bonga Kuenda is one of the most recognisable voices to have come out of Angola. Born in 1942 in the Kipiri region, he first became known as an athlete before turning to music, and his early recordings — made in exile in Rotterdam and Brussels during the Angolan struggle for independence — turned traditional semba into a language of memory and resistance.

His 1972 album Angola 72, and the song Mona Ki Ngi Xica in particular, became emblematic far beyond Angola. Singing in Portuguese and Kimbundu, with a hoarse, unmistakable timbre and the dikanza rasping underneath, Bonga has recorded more than thirty albums over five decades and continues to tour the world's major stages.

At Gala Africa Official he takes the stage as the headline performance of the evening — a closing concert in the grand hall of Martin's Château du Lac, before the dance party begins.

Discipline

Singer, songwriter

Origin

Angola

Genres

Semba, morna, kizomba

Performs

23 January 2027 · headline set