Episode #23: Learn How Angola’s Culture Shaped the Kizomba Dance Scene With DJ Chocolate Loyd Garcia

TAKEAWAYS

• Kizomba is deeply rooted in Angolan culture and identity.

• Loyd Garcia's journey reflects the global spread of Kizomba.

• Dancing Kizomba is a communal and familial experience in Angola.

• Kizomba parties are essential to social life in Angola.

• The evolution of Kizomba in Europe has created a vibrant dance scene.

• Loyd promotes Kizomba events to share the culture with others.

• Music is a vital part of life in Angola, often more important than food at parties.

• Kizomba has gained popularity worldwide, transcending cultural boundaries.

• The Muxima Kizomba Festival offers an immersive experience in Angolan culture.

• Loyd's DJ name, DJ Chocolate, symbolizes his unique identity in the Kizomba scene.

TRANSCRIPT

Victor 1 (00:00)

Hello, Kizomba friends and welcome back to the Kizomba Conversations podcast. If you're listening on Spotify or another podcast app, don't forget you can also watch our guests in action on our YouTube channel at Kizomba Conversations. We hope you enjoy the episode. Hello, Kizomba friends. As always, it's your host Victor on Kizomba Conversations. Today's episode is dedicated to our spotlight on Angola. So I was lucky enough to go to Angola earlier this year.

And there's been a rise in Angolan cultural trips and festivals. And we're really lucky that people, these promoters are doing this for us in our community right now. So there's been a rise in that. And I was lucky enough to go with a gentleman called Loyd Garcia. So in this episode, we sit down with Loyd. We discussed Angola. We discuss music. We discuss the culture. And of course we discuss Kizomba. So sit back, relax.

And we hope you enjoy this episode with Kizomba promoter Loyd Garcia. Hello Kizomba friends, Victor here from Kizomba Conversations and I am in Angola. Yes, Angola. Look at this wonderful place. Angola, the birthplace of Kizomba. And I'm with Mr. Loyd Garcia, who is a Kizomba promoter. Hello Loyd, how are you?

Loyd 2 (01:24)

Hello Victor, thank you. Nice to meet you. I am happy to have you in Angola.

Speaker 1 (01:29)

I am happy to be in Angola because I love Kizomba. Been doing Kizomba for some time. Haven't quite made it out here yet, but I'm here now and it's obviously because of you that I'm here and I'm having a fantastic time. So what I want to do Loyd is talk to you about obviously Angola and about Kizomba. All right. Kizomba. First thing, let us know a bit about you. Who is Loyd? Where are you from?

Loyd 2 (01:31)

Good, thank you.

Yes. Yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

Loyd is one guy also, it's me. I was born in Angola, but at 18 years old I went to Portugal. I lived in Portugal for three years and after that I went to Switzerland. And now I live 27 years in Switzerland. Wow. Yeah.

Victor 1 (02:02)

Okay, 27 years in Switzerland. So you say you were born in Angola. Yes. All right. So with that, we know that Kizomba means party. Right. And I know that when you're young, there are lots of parties that happen with the family backyard parties. So how was that for you when you were growing up? Because you left. So I want to know how it was like when you're here, if you can remember them.

Loyd 2 (02:18)

Yes, 

Remember, yes, remember. And this time we don't have a lot of disco like now, now you see disco always. Yes. But this time we have dancing. Dancing was like for young and also for old. They have time from five o'clock to eight o'clock at night.

And from nine o'clock to another day, it's for more than 20 hours, for example. And this time I go just for 18, 17 hours, 20 hours I have to go back.

Victor1 (03:21)

Okay, okay.

Loyd 2 (03:22)

And I started to dance kizomba with my family. And this time we don't. I have never seen school, kizomba school before. I see this in Europe. Here in Angola we start as a family. Some people start off the street with friends. Yeah, it's all like this.

Victor 1 (03:41)

Yeah, absolutely. I hear that a lot. It's just family. It's a vibe. It's a party. It's nobody. You don't get taught kizomba. It's just something.

Loyd 2 (03:49)

That's why you see the people go dance free and enjoy. It's not like I have to be afraid of what I have to do because you start with family and when you start with family you are free. If you make a mistake or not, but you want to, you want to enjoy it.

Victor 1 (04:06)

Absolutely, absolutely. You know, great. Then you're talking about going to Portugal and then living in Switzerland. in Portugal, was there, did you do a lot of dancing in Portugal? Yeah.

Loyd 2 (04:19)

My life was like, you know, I went to Portugal, I was 18 years old. And that is the time you want to live, enjoy. Yeah. Everyday I go dancing, every day. Yeah. I go to the disco every day. Yeah. Sometimes I don't have money to eat, but two things I don't forget. Clothes to buy and disco. Yeah.

Victor 1 (04:47)

It's cool.

Loyd 2 (04:49)

Every day, Monday to Monday, I go to the disco.

Victor 1 (04:54)

Yeah, and the thing is it's just a way of life right because you said just now sometimes don't even eat right? 

Loyd (05:03)

Dancing is like if you are sick, if you are someone else here in Angola, for example, I am also a DJ. I started here at 14 years old. I started in school. Some schools had a party and called me. I have an apparatus and I go and I start to play music and people like it. with time, and this time don't pay me. Give me some Coca-Cola, you know.

Yeah, and because what I want is growth.

Victor 1 (05:43)

Fantastic. Okay, great. So you mentioned as well that you were a DJ. So what's your DJ name? DJ Chocolate- DJ Chocolate- DJ Chocolate ok. Oh, got it. Oh, right. Okay. DJ Chocolate Okay. So you obviously dance where do you DJ mostly?

Loyd 2 (05:49)

I started in Angola and after I go to Portugal, Portugal I don't have time to play because of work. But I went to Switzerland and my brother was also a good DJ in Switzerland. The people know him. And I want to start to play. And one day he married and was free.

free place. go play in your place. And this time the people like it too much. They like it too much and don't know how to call me. They call me Loyd. So I said, they asked me what's name was. I said Loyd. And one guy from France said, no, no, not Loyd. You you supposed to have one special name. I don't have a special name. He said, no, for today, you are DJ Chocolate Okay. Yeah.

Victor1 (07:09)

Yeah. Okay. So they gave you that name? Yeah, yeah. And it just stuck all this time?

Loyd 2 (07:11)

They give me then I say, okay, it's not bad.

Victor 1 (07:18)

I think it's a good name, DJ Chocolate. Okay, all right, so you've been DJing for a long time as well.

Loyd 2 (07:22)

Yeah, a long time. Yeah, a long time. It was a long time.

Victor 1 (07:25)

Okay, so you dance, you DJ, and the other thing you do is, like I said at the beginning, you promote events. So tell us a bit about the events that you promote and why you're doing these events as well. So what's the event and the reason why?

Speaker 2 (07:32)

Mm-hmm. Also, I love kizomba. Kizomba is my heart, it's my life, you know? And when I go to Europe, in Portugal we have kizomba, but when I go to Switzerland, we don't have kizomba this time. We don't have kizomba. And all the way where I am going, I listen to salsa music, bachata, but no kizomba. Okay.

And I go to salsa school, I try, but always I mix salsa with kizomba. And I say, no, I have to start giving lessons from kizomba. But some friends of mine say, no, you are not a good teacher. It's better if you look for something. I say, okay, I have to do something. And I say, okay, if I don't teach, I will have a party.

They say, okay, parties are not bad. Yeah. And I start to have parties with them. That was 2014 or 2013. Yeah. People don't know what Kizomba is.

Victor 1 (08:50)

2014 there was a fresh thing.

Loyd 2 (08:51)

I came with a CD and asked all DJs, can you play one music? What is that? I said Kizomba. Zumba? No, no, no Zumba. Kizomba. I don't know, no, I don't play. And I start. My party was two people, three people. Before Kizomba, it was in Portugal. And one day I went to a salsa party and the DJ, his wife for him, is from Angola. Okay. Yeah.

I asked him can, you play music? And he says, on my cd, it's Has Semba. And you say, are you from Angola? I say, yes. He catch me.

Victor1 (09:32)

Straight away.

Loyd 2 (09:34)

They say, yes, I look for some teacher. Some people, I say, no, I want to get a promotion from the party. I want to have a party, not the teacher. And after I grow up I call some DJs and some international to come to Switzerland. I called a lot of DJ, and a lot of teachers. It was the first time in Switzerland because I called him.

Victor 1 (10:03)

Okay, so you brought them.

Loyd 2 (10:04)

Yeah,

I brought them to Switzerland. And after I have, I have now I have good parties. Okay. Very good parties. yes, yes. When you, for example, I have one T-shirt. Kizom Bern was my first event. Okay. Kizom Bern. And after that I also have three festivals in Switzerland. Fest Semba, Made in Angola and Muxima.

Victor 1 (10:36)

Muxima. So those are the three that you have. Yeah. And we love it. So just keep doing it, man. Keep doing it. So what's the scene like then in Switzerland? Because that's where you're mainly from. So is it a big scene? Big scene of Kizomba? Yes.

Loyd 2 (10:50)

Yes, not bad.

Victor 1 (10:52)

Okay, okay so that's where you're based mainly then in Switzerland. ⁓

Loyd 2 (10:58)

Yeah.

Victor 1 (11:00)

And then what I know you just mentioned it, but you know Kizomba has got so big around the world now we just mentioned Portugal we mentioned Switzerland but you got London you got America there's India it's all over the place all right did you ever see it getting so big from 2013 when you didn't when you played at that party you just said did you did you think your mind is actually gonna get big or you weren't sure?

Loyd 2 (11:26)

Yeah, I think, I think. I don't see the future, but I believe. understand? And yeah, when I start to do something, I trust that maybe not today, but tomorrow will be big. And it's like Kizomba. It's like Kizomba now, people dance Kizomba. And also this guy, what I say, they helped me.

First, they accept. ⁓ When he see my cd they say you are from Angola. He's, he's salsa teacher. He has a big school. But when I start to move to Kizomba, all the people from salsa come to Kizomba. That was like, I don't wait. I saw what it was like, and today I had a Kizomba party. take.

Two DJs from Paris. I had a big Kizomba party and he made a big salsa party. All the people from salsa went to, Kizomba party.

Victor1 (12:37)

It's the same in most places. exactly the way I started, Salsa for many years, found Kizomba And then you don't go back to salsa as much. We still love salsa, by the way. We just want to make that clear. But it's just a case of once you hear Kizomba, it's a little bit different. And you kind of just go with it. So that's fantastic. All right.

Loyd 2 (12:42)

So I think the people want to learn something more. It's not that people don't want to dance salsa anymore, no. Kizomba is like me. When you dance salsa for 10 years and you hear Kizomba, you want to learn or you want to know what it is this.

Victor 1 (13:16)

Absolutely. Definitely. No, exactly. It's exactly the same. So tell me then, what does Kizomba music mean to the people in Angola? Why is it so? What does it mean to people here?

Loyd 2 (13:32)

What does Kizomba mean?

Victor 1 (13:34)

Do you know why Kizomba is so prevalent here?

Loyd 2 (13:39)

We were born with this thing. This is something that I cannot explain because we were born with Kizomba. We were born with dance. Angola is one country where they have a lot of problems. Before Kuduro was Kizomba. ⁓ Before Kuduro there was Kizomba. And the people you cannot have anything sweet to eat, but you dance. That's why we love kizomba.

Victor 1 (14:15)

100%. And listen, I've been here just over a week and I feel it. feel it. You just feel it here.

Loyd 2 (14:21)

Sometimes maybe you will see they have some place, it's nobody there, but you hear the music. Kizomba or always you hear. The people, it's all like this.

Victor 1 (14:33)

Yeah, I know. It's very different to where I'm from. I hear it on the street, I hear it in the cars, I hear it in the supermarket, it's everywhere.

Loyd 2 (14:39)

When I was young, I had a lot of problems with my sister because I couldn't hear music, light, always. And Say, why all the time your music like you are in party? I say, yeah, I have. And sometimes we don't have light because of war. Two months, one month we don't have light. This time, sometimes I was sick because I didn't hear music. It's like your life is down.

Victor 1 (15:11)

So the music is what lifts you up. gets you through, keeps you happy, keeps you going. And like I say, I feel the vibe here. We have been to a few parties, backyard parties here, ⁓ seen the families. It's amazing.

Loyd2 (15:13)

Yeah. True. Yeah.

You cannot have a party here and don't have music. It's not a party. It's better if you make music and no food. Yes. Okay, you have a lot of food, no music. It's not a party, no party, yeah. No.

Victor1 (15:42)

No, no, it's, it's, it's, it's, what can I say? What can I say? It's why we're here. It's why we're here. So, all right. Thank you, Loyd. So we just want to finish off then just talk to us a bit about, you know, the festival that you have currently and how that's going for you at the moment.

Loyd 2 (16:02)

Yeah. So the festival we have is normally in October the Muxima Kizomba Festival. This is for a normal trip. Welcome to Angola. Two weeks, all inclusive. It's one packet. You have everything there. We start in Benguela. In Benguela we started the party. Three days after we go back to Luanda, we have another party and on Sunday we go to Kizomba Na Rua. We celebrate the 5th day of the party. But every day we have something different. But this 5th day is the party for the Muxima Kizomba Festival in October.

Victor 1 (16:48)

In October. Okay. So just the one in October that you have or do you have other ones as well?

Loyd 2 (16:52)

Yeah, I also have Switzerland, but in Europe it's very expensive And sometimes I have to take people from here to go there. And yeah, that moment I talk with my group and we say, give me a break to see how that works.

Victor1 (17:16)

Okay.

Yeah. So, Muxima Kizomba Festival people, you should check it out. So, Loyd, what is a message you would like to give anybody who hasn't been to Angola yet and they're thinking about coming to this wonderful place? What would you say to them?

Loyd 2 (17:32)

Also, the first one is what I will say, you don't know what you, you, Victor is here and he knows. He is the, the, grow, you know. When you come to Angola, you enjoy it. Sometimes we are in Europe, you think, oh, I am top, I am like this. But when you come to Angola, you will see like me, I don't dance in Angola, just see, just look. Because here is the, the, the,

the house from for everything the Kizomba both grow here born here that's why I call I invite you to come here in Angola to Muxima Kizomba festival is better if not you can come also with another group of what you want but we are here and we wait for you okay.

Victor 1 (18:24)

100%. So like he said, if you dance Kizomba, I think that it's a really good idea for you to come out here to Angola, just to experience just this wonderful place. And also the dancing, the dancing here, when you see it here in Angola, live, very different parties everything is top level. Okay. So we just want to say thank you to Loyd. Thank you very much for sharing your quick story with us, but we really appreciate it, Loyd. Thank you very much. We'll hopefully see you. See you very, very soon.

Victor 1 (18:54)

Where can people find out about you in terms of your socials? Are you onFacebook? Instagram?

Loyd 2 (19:00)

Loyd Garcia, is Facebook, Loyd Garcia, TikTok, Loyd Garcia are all one. Yeah. Yeah. I am always the first one. When you hide Loyd Garcia's, the first one comes. Yes.

Victor 1 (19:25)

First one, you heard it here.

As always, I wanna say thank you for tuning in. We'll catch you on the next one. Keep dancing. Peace.