2025 is shaping up to be an amazing year for Kuduro/Afrohouse. The first ever Kuduro and AfroHouse dance festival in Angola will take place in November 2025. The festival promises to reignite dance in Luanda by celebrating the innovators and creators pushing the dance in Angola. International students who attend the festival will experience the dance culture of Luanda first hand. Students will have the opportunity to take classes from creators and innovators and hear lectures directly from the artists who shaped the culture. Most importantly students will understand the context and reality of the dance in Angola and build a deeper connection to the dance and culture.
We caught up Vandro Poster founder and CEO of Angola Beat Street Festival to learn more about the festival.
AFROCONEX: Vandro, we are super excited for the 1st edition of Angola Beat Street Festival, happening Nov 5-9 in Luanda, Angola. You are the founder and CEO of the festival, can you help to briefly introduce yourself and explain what the Angola Beat Street Festival is ?
VANDRO: My name is Evandro Quissua. I’m known artistically as Vandro Poster. I am a professional dance artist (Dancer, choreographer, dance teacher).
The Angola Beat Street Festival will be a Kuduro and AfroHouse festival that will take place in Luanda every year, with the aim of further expanding the talent of Angolan dancers in collaboration with international dancers who also love Kuduro. It will be an exchange to share the true essence of the Kuduro style. It will also and help many dancers take their first steps towards building their careers.
AFROCONEX: tell us more about the meaning of the name Angola Beat Street Festival ? And why you decided to start this festival ?
VANDRO: The Angola BEAT STREET Festival is the revival of what was the largest dance project in Angola “Bilo Baila” but in a broader and more organized format.
I chose the term Beat Street because Kuduro in Angola is a style made in the streets, so I adapted the term batida das ruas, because it was in the streets where we met for dance challenges and to live Kuduro.
I decided to start this festival because I feel that dancers have few opportunities to showcase their talent and this will be a Kuduro festival where they can explore it fully with collaborations, battles, workshops etc.
AFROCONEX: The festival is open to both local and international students. What can they expect from the festival ? and what do you wan them to take away from this festival?
VANDRO: The main intention of the participation of international students is for them to come and see up close the true essence of the style they practice, because many still only know the style through videos and some testimonials on the internet. It will further enrich their knowledge to be able to live this moment and hear from natural artists about the creation and the evolution of the style they love so much. Living is better than listening.
AFROCONEX: what would you say are some of the benefits of attending a festival in Angola ? What experiences do you think are vital for students learning Kuduro and AfroHouse ?
VANDRO: They will enrich their knowledge and learn many things that videos do not show. They will meet many new dancers that the internet does not show and they will see what dance battles are like and the way of life in Angola.
AFROCONEX: Having visited Angola, one take away I have is that dance is a life line. Not only does the dance create the culture of Kuduro/Afrohouse, but it is a main source of income for many dancers. What do you hope this festival will do to contribute to the dance and culture of Luanda/Angola ?
VANDRO: Unfortunately, it is still not possible to have a stable life living from only dance in Angola. Dancers are seen differently, which is why we receive little support in this field. However, this festival can also be seen as a union of dancers, and this union can improve the vision of dancer and culture in Angola and benefit future generations.
AFROCONEX: What accommodations are being made for hosting international students during the festival ? And what are you looking forwarding to sharing most with international students ?
VANDRO: We are preparing ourselves in the best way possible to accommodate our international participants. We are putting together a super accommodating and organized event with a harmonious atmosphere that we hope will keep students coming back for future editions. What I want to share most is the way dancers experience dance and their unique ways of moving and their creativity in dance battles.
AFROCONEX: For those students who are uncertain about attending the festival; what do you want to say to them ?
VANDRO: Come and experience everything you heard. Angola is a country rich in culture and your analysis of dance will be improved. Being part of this festival will be like reading a book 📕 you will no longer be the same person.
AFROCONEX: For those who are interested in attending the festival, where can they find more information about the cost and the plan of events for the festival ?
VANDRO: For everyone who would like more information, you can visit the Instagram pages - @angolabeatstreetfestival or @vandroposterangola and leave a message where you will receive the cost table and festival plans, which will also be on the home page.
AfroConex is a proud sponsor of the Angola Beat Street Festival.
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