Paulo Flores

📸 @joaobeijinho

Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations in Angola, author, composer and performer, Paulo Flores has been building for over thirty years a remarkable work, where poetry and melodies sustain a narrative that uniquely makes a translated portrait of the Angolan soul.

The artist was part of the Kizomba movement in the late 1980s: this Kizomba, which began as a dance, represents a new era of music and Angolan history, recognizable by an electronic coating that wears and supports a mix of zouk and traditional African music (Congo and Angola) that is still in everyone's memory.

📸 @joaobeijinho

Since the 90's with themes such as "Sarrabulho" in 1992 and the themes "Patala", "Mukanda" and "Susana" from the album "Brincadeira tem hora" and especially in 1995 with the album "Canta meu Semba", Paulo Flores re-appropriated the Semba rhythms of yore, introducing lyrics in Portuguese mixed with the maternal grandmother's kimbundo and Luanda’s slang, creating a universe that uniquely portrays the life and feelings of Angolans.

Paulo Flores inscribes his work in a language that is based on the search for and appreciation of the Angolan musical heritage, with room for the influence of other musical genres. It appears today in this successful mixture of Caribbean, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban and African influences.

In addition to his role in music, he also plays a social role either in collaboration with young Angolan musicians, or in his involvement in social solidarity actions or as a UN Goodwill Ambassador in Angola (2007).