Afro House Dance: The History Breakdown

Afrohouse dance gained popularity at the same time Kuduro Classico was at its peak in popularity. Kuduro Classico was the most popular dance form in Angola from around 2007 - 2016. Afrohouse music emerged in Angola around 2006 and steadily grew in popularity. The music inspired people to create dances to the new sound. Together the music and dances merged to form an identity. The period of 2008-2013 is considered the formative years for both Afrohouse music and dance.

 Today, the dance and music continue to evolve. The music has taken on a distinctly Angolan vibe, and the dance continues to borrow heavily/be influenced by Kuduro footwork. Many say Kuduro is dead, but at AfroConex we believe Kuduro is very much alive inside Afrohouse dance.

We break down the history of the dance in our documentary below. Included below are also clips that help to visually tell the story of the evolution of Afrohouse dance.

Afrohouse dance: The history breakdown

THE EMERGENCE OF AFROHOUSE DANCE:

BOUNCE COMPETITION: 2010 - 2012

Bounce was a popular dance competition in Angola. The competition was a place for dancers to compete showcasing their talent and the latest dances. The show was one of the biggest platforms that presented Afrohouse dance and music to Angolans.

Here are few clips from the competition:

Around 2010: Here we see Kuduro as the prominent style dancers executed in the battles.

Around 2011: Here we see Afrohouse music being featured as the background music for the battles. Dancers compete dancing to Kuduro and Afrohouse music. Their movements carry over from Kuduro beats to the Afrohouse beats.

Around 2012: battle. We continue to see the evolution of the sound as dancers battle to Kuduro and Afrohouse beats. We see Kuduro elements in the way the dancers dance to the Afrohouse beats.

AFROHOUSE MUSIC: 2010 -2014

The music created the catalyst for the dance. Earlier editions of Angolan Afrohouse music were a direct carbon copy of South African Afrohouse music. However, from 2010 - 2014 Angolan Djs started adding their own influences to the music, which developed into a distinct Angolan Afrohouse sound. The evolution continues today, with beats becoming more mechanical sounding and faster. We compiled a few mixes and music videos from the formative years as reference for the music and the dance.

2010 DJ JESUS: OUR RITMO

2011 AFROHOUSE MIX:

DJ JEFF: ELEGOM BOUNSA.

2012 AFROHOUSE MIX:

PRESILHA: BALUMUKA

2013 AFROHOUSE VIDEO MIX

2014 VOTE BY DJ ROMANO + DJ NALESTA

THE EVOLUTION OF AFROHOUSE DANCE: 2014 - PRESENT

Music is the main driver in how we dance and Afrohouse music was quickly becoming the dominant sound in Angola, overtaking Kuduro in popularity. The shift in music popularity, lead many Kuduro dancers and musicians (Kuduristas) to transition to dancing to and singing Afrohouse music. The result was the implementation of many Kuduro footwork combinations and conjugations into Afrohouse dance. Kuduro was always a key influence in how Angolans danced Afrohouse, but the transition of Kuduristas into Afrohouse dance changed the dynamic of the dance. As depicted in the videos above, the dance consisted of groovy type moves and full body movements. Kuduristas introduced the heavy focus of footwork into the dance.

Os Moikanos is one such group that was instrumental in the introduction of Kuduro inspire footwork into Afrohouse dance.

OS Moikanos Afrohouse dance: 2014

Os Moikanos Afrohouse dance 2015

Os Moikanos Afrohouse Dance: 2016