here is still plenty happening in Lisbon: Helviofox, just 19 years old, feeds his own take on kuduro straight into the city’s pulse – euphoric, focused, elegant. What emerged in late-1980s Luanda from the fusion of African and Caribbean rhythms with house and techno, and was later developed into an internationally celebrated sound in Lisbon, particularly around the Príncipe label, proves itself on Rodeado de Batida to be a still-vital art form.
Influenced by his brothers, who produce under the names Dadifox and Erycox, Helviofox – whose name, like that of several of his peers, nods to foundational figure DJ Marfox – sets dancefloors in motion with a compact run of heavily syncopated grooves. The music is unmistakably rooted in what Marfox and others set in motion some 15 years ago in Lisbon’s suburbs, yet it listens outward, embracing new sounds with an infectious sense of optimism.
Rodeado de Batida
