Pongo

The vocal talents of Portugal's Pongo first came to prominence through her collaborations with the Lisbon-based collective Buraka Som Sistema, in particular their 2008 Spanish number one single "Kalemba (Wegue-Wegue)," before she struck out on her own in 2018. Originally born in Angola, Pongo grew up in the suburbs of Lisbon, raised on a diet of Kuduro, R&B, and pop. Initially using the name Pongolove -- a moniker given to her by her father after Congolese vocalist M'Pongo Love -- Pongo started to make a name for herself as a contributor to the Lisbon collective Buraka Som Sistema, supplying vocals to their 2008 hit single "Kalemba (Wegue-Wegue)." Over the following years, she worked with the likes of Quantic and Massivedrum. Ten years after her brush with fame, she returned with her debut solo EP, Baia. The seven-track release brought together a mix of Kuduro, EDM, and pop and featured the infectious track "Tambulaya." ~ Rich Wilson