Ayom (Angola / Portugal)

Ayom is a transatlantic collective formed in Lisbon by musicians from Brazil, Angola, Italy, and Greece, united by a shared passion for Afro-diasporic traditions. Drawing from rhythms like semba, funaná, frevo and congado, the group weaves ancestral influences into contemporary arrangements with a poetic, border-crossing sensibility. Their work often explores historical memory and the emotional legacy of colonialism through a blend of acoustic and electronic textures.

Featured Song:

“Kikola N’goma” (“The Drum Speaks” in Kimbundu, a Bantu language spoken in Angola) features celebrated Angolan singer Paulo Flores, whose decades-long career has made him a central figure in Angolan semba and a powerful voice in Lusophone music. The song critiques the dominant colonial narratives that portray conquest as discovery, contrasting Portugal as a distant, controlling “father” with Africa as a nurturing “mother.” The lyrics invoke sacred figures and resistance leaders—“Nzinga Bandi resists and cries / Makes laughter rise from pain”—while tracing the journey of semba from Angola to Brazil. “The semba came / Forged in the ngoma / It found freedom in the terreiro.” The chorus affirms identity and origin: “You are the people of Zambi / You are the people of Angola.”

Artist Website

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