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Pongo: From the platform to the world stage

Marian Märki11-12-20253 min. read

Engracia Domingos da Silva, known as Pongo, has emerged from difficult circumstances in Lisbon to become a celebrated Afro-fusion artist. Her music blends Angolan influences with global beats, telling a story of survival and self-empowerment.

Today, Engracia Domingos da Silva, better known as Pongo, is one of the most outstanding Afro-fusion artists of our time. She has conquered the stages of the world's biggest festivals and made the Angolan music style kuduro internationally known with the group "Buraka Som Sistema".But her path to success was anything but easy. Born in Luanda, Angola's capital, in 1992, Pongo fled with her family to Portugal to escape the civil war. In the early 2000s, they settled in Lisbon. There, the young Pongo was confronted not only with open racism but also with a difficult family situation. Her father was strict and kept her and her sisters away from social activities. At twelve years old, she could no longer endure the circumstances and jumped from the seventh floor of her apartment building — a dramatic turning point in her life.This incident changed everything. For one thing, it inspired her stage name. After she broke her leg and was temporarily unable to walk, among other things, her father nicknamed her Pongo, referencing the Congolese singer M'Pongo Love, who was also disabled after contracting polio. On the other hand, this marked the beginning of her musical journey.During her rehabilitation, Pongo had to regularly take the train to her physical therapy appointments. One day, on the platform, she came across the Denon Squad dance group performing Kuduro. The young Pongo was fascinated. "I was always there, very shy, and dreamed of joining in," she later told Songlines. One day, they called her over and asked her to show them a dance step," she later told Songlines magazine. She was so convincing that she became part of the group and soon accompanied them to the studio. "It was just for fun. I was a dancer, not a singer."But fate had other plans. A cassette with her recordings was sent to the electro-kuduro band Buraka Som Sistema. The members were enthusiastic and invited the 15-year-old to join them. Pongo didn't hesitate. "I went and recorded my song 'Kalemba (Wegue Wegue),' which is about my father's street dance competitions and the street where I grew up in Luanda."
The song became a worldwide hit. It appeared on the soundtracks of video games such as Need for Speed: Shift and FIFA 10, and it was streamed millions of times on YouTube. However, Pongo hardly benefited from this success. Royalties for her self-written and -sung song? Not a chance. "At the time, my father had left us, and I had a lot of responsibility. I thought I could support my family, but I was naive," she says, looking back. After two years, she left the band and worked as a cleaner, among other jobs, to support her family.One day, while cleaning a hotel room, she heard her song, "Wege Wegue," on the radio. That was the moment she decided to return to music. The timing was perfect; the Lisbon music scene was changing due to new technologies and influences from postcolonial countries such as Angola, Guinea, Cape Verde, and Mozambique.In 2018, she made a brilliant comeback with her first EP, Baia. On it, she took kuduro in new directions by incorporating Caribbean zouk and Brazilian samba. In 2019, President Emmanuel Macron welcomed her at the French Fête de la Musique festival, where she was celebrated as the "Diva of Kuduro." With her 2020 song "Uwa," she expanded her fan base and sharpened her message. "My songs are about diversity, freedom, and independence. I believe in positivity," she said in a 2023 interview.
Their 2021 COLORSxSTUDIOS performance of "Bruxos" (Witches) was also a viral success. Since then, Pongo has fused kuduro with afrobeats, favela funk, and afrofunk to craft her unique sound. This highlights her artistic philosophy of blending genres and languages to transcend cultural boundaries, proving that she is the true "diva of kuduro".

Pongo at Moods

  • LusoSonic Festival

    • Pongo

      Global SoundsElectronic / PartyAfricaElectronic
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