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An African dance form that originated in Angola in the early 90s, the word Kizomba means ‘party’ in Kubumbu (according to Wikipedia). Kizomba is slow, sensual and excitingly rhythmic with rapidly changing beats. While most of the songs are popularly sung in Portuguese (Angola used to be a colony of Portugal and the population speaks Portuguese, besides their local languages), in recent times, one will hear similar music in French. This is attributed to the fact that Cape Verdeans moved to France some time ago, and influenced the region there.

I’ve always been a huge dance fanatic since college, when I started with the “rock and roll jive” – quite close to the ‘swing’ - but less formal and easier to learn. My favourite songs include Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley, Rock Around The Clock, Wake Up Before You Go Go by Wham, and numerous others in the genre. As time passed, Latin-American dances piqued my interest, especially Salsa and Bachata, and I was terribly keen on mastering them. However, every time I genuinely longed to start learning them, either money was a problem or time, as I moved across continents quite frequently, and ironically, Kizomba was unknown to me then.

My tryst with Kizomba began only in Mauritius when I was at a bar that happened to be hosting a latin night. The music caught my attention, and the dancers enthralled me. Several couples held on to each other swaying their bodies so sensually, yet, devoid of any vulgarity.

I was absolutely smitten with all things Kizomba! From that night moving forward, it was my mission to learn this beautiful dance.

I took my first class in Dubai, where I was working until recently. Who would have thought, and with no warning, that even though I had been dancing for so long, I’d still face barriers in remembering steps, technicality and most of all, musicality – the fabric of Kizomba. Over the course of my classes, I also struggled at social nights with asking women to dance - the one element that can help any novice to reach an intermediate or advanced level. The confidence to get out there and pop the question: “shall we dance?” seemed like the impossible, predicated on the notion that I’d mess up and ruin the fun, but it would be remiss of me to not say that it had to be done, one way or another. Why? Because practice makes perfect right?!

Kizomba has taken over my life; it’s become an addiction. In the last 2 years, my Youtube playlist has grown from one Kizomba song to countless. I eat, sleep, and dream this sensation! It’s also my happy place when days are dull, mundane, chaotic and stressful, and I urge everyone to find an anchor like this that keeps them grounded.

 

This isn’t just a dance form though; it’s also a community everywhere. Once you start dancing, it’s an opportunity to meet new people, make friends, and socialize, especially in a new country where we’re always in search of belonging.