Episode #3: In Conversation with Kizomba Teacher Rico Suave

TAKEAWAYS

• Rico Suave's journey from Guinea-Bissau to Portugal and then to the UK reflects the impact of war, separation, and resilience, shaping his identity and passion for Kizomba.
• Kizomba is more than just a dance; it is a way of life, deeply rooted in family, love, and music. Rico emphasises the significance of Semba as the father of Kizomba and the influence of Semba, Tarraxinha and Ghetto-Zouk under the Kizomba umbrella.
• The evolution of Kizomba music and dance, the importance of pioneers, and the fusion of traditional dances from different countries contribute to the rich and diverse Kizomba culture.
• Teaching Kizomba was not initially part of Rico's plan, but the natural demand for his dance moves and the basic elements of the dance led to his involvement in teaching and sharing his knowledge with others.
• The evolution of Kizomba parties and the challenges of teaching without English
• The fusion of dance styles and the importance of keeping the roots of the dance
• Rico's upcoming projects and events, emphasising the importance of sharing the joy of Kizomba with the community

SOUND BITES

"Kizomba is more than just a dance; it is a way of life, deeply rooted in family, love, and music."

"Semba is the father of Kizomba, and Semba, Tarraxinha, and Ghetto-Zouk are significant variations under the Kizomba umbrella."

"The pioneers of the Kizomba movement, including Mestre Pechu and Thomas Keita, have greatly influenced Rico's journey and knowledge of Kizomba."

"Sharing the joy of Kizomba with the community is immense, and the more we share, the better for the community."

CHAPTERS

00:00 Rico Suave: A Journey of Resilience and Passion for Kizomba

28:23 The Essence of Kizomba: More Than Just a Dance

30:20 Variations of Dance Under the Kizomba Umbrella

41:26 Pioneers and Evolution of Kizomba Music and Dance

45:46 Teaching Kizomba: Sharing the Passion

46:45 The Evolution of Kizomba Parties and Teaching Challenges

53:28 The Fusion of Dance Styles and Keeping the Roots

01:31:44 Rico's Vision: Sharing the Joy of Kizomba

TRANSCRIPT

Victor (00:06)

Hello, Kizomba enthusiasts, and welcome back to another episode of Kizomba Conversations. I'm your host, Victor, and as always, we get the chance to interview some amazing people on the Kizomba dance scene. Today, I am joined by a very, very, very special guest. Now, all my guests are special, but I think in the Kizomba world, we all know that the guest that I have now is very, very special indeed. This particular person is a master of Kizomba, master of Semba.

He's so good, they gave him a nickname of suave so some of you know who I'm talking about already, okay? This person is an absolute gem on the dance floor. He's an international dancer and performer. Ladies love dancing with him and men want to dance like him and steal his moves so I think we all know who it is. Please help me in welcoming the wonderful, the amazing, the very talented Mr. Rico suave. Hey Rico. 

Rico

Hello. How are you doing sir? I'm doing well. And first of all, thank you for having me in the Kizomba Conversation podcast. And I think it's a good thing to have and to share with the people out there because...

As we know, a lot of people doesn't know about Kizomba and this is a very good platform to make people aware about Kizomba and also know people that share the knowledge and everything around Kizomba. Absolutely. And Rico, listen, we want to say thank you for being here. We're really, really happy that you're here. And we're hoping to have a great conversation with you because we know that you're a master of this amazing dance. And like you said, people who are new to Kizomba,

It's really good for you to be here as well and listen to somebody like Rico as well. And our aim on the podcast, you know, like you're saying, is to spread the joy of Kizomba to as many people as we can possibly reach. So you're in safe hands with Mr. Rico Suave. Okay. All right. So let's get into this Rico then. So, you know, we, you know, there's so much that I want to ask you as well. And, you know, you've got a wealth of experience when it comes to Kizomba, Semba, other dancers as well.

And we really want to get into that with you. But, you know, as always, let's start with origins, okay? And let's talk about, you know, you, maybe, you know, some of your backstory, you know, where you kind of grew up, I don't know, family or those kind of things. So just for people watching, obviously some of us, we know you, we see you on the dance floor, we don't get to know you, know you. So this is a chance for us to, you know, get an insight into a bit about who you are and for the new people to learn a bit about you as well. So.

however you want to take it so we know who is Rico Suave? Well, Rico Suave as a nickname, he came to... can I just ask by the way, just so we're clear? So I'm not wrong. Is it suave or is it suave? Suave. Suave. Suave in Portuguese word means smooth or soft. And the translation to the English when I moved to...

to England because everyone was saying you dance very smooth, very smooth. And then when I was looking for an artist name in the Kizomba world, Suave, because my nickname already was Rico. So Rico Suave came along and then it was just the perfect combination in my opinion. And then also because some people already were saying it.

while I was dancing, social dancing, and they said, you dance very smooth, very smooth, very... But I grew up in Guinea -Bissau, my country, Bissau, the capital where I spent my 18, 19 years, and then moving to Portugal afterwards. And the move into Portugal wasn't fun. It was...

because we had a civil war in Bissau, in Guinea Bissau. So therefore we had to escape the bombs, you know, all those sad, sad story. So I ended up moving first of all to Senegal, where it's a funny story of it. We were in a refugee camp and a lot of

people there. And suddenly, or happily, there is a family side of my mom who came to the refugee camp and asking for the surname that is connected to us. They said, there is any Forbes, because I have a Forbes also family side in Senegal and in Guinea-Bissau, they asked for that surname if there is any

person in the refugee camp know that they have a family in Senegal. And then we said, OK, I was there with my brother. And then we said, yes, we are a family of Forbes. And then they took us and we spent like eight or nine months with that family that basically we didn't know. But we end up knowing them because of that situation. We were in a refugee camp. They came to us to check.

family, if it's there or not, we were there. So then we spend that time in Senegal, my brother returned to Guinea-Bissau and then from Guinea-Bissau in 1999 moved to Portugal at that time. Wow. So yeah, I spent half of my age in Guinea Bissau then to Portugal, Portugal to England. Amazing.

And I mean, just, I mean, how was that time for you? Well, it was very, very difficult time. And I think for anybody who been involved or been in the situation where you have to escape to save your life or save your family, it's always tricky because, you know, we were four, four of us as a brother and sister.

And my dad didn't want to move. He said, I'm strong. I will stay here. I will fight for the country. My mom and my young sister got the boat because Portuguese were sending boats also to try and save as much people as possible. And the neighbour, Senegal, also was sending, Cape Verde was also sending boats to see if they can save.

as much people as possible. So it's a tricky situation where you have a fear of losing your life or losing your loved ones. Then you have to do whatever you can to escape. Me and my brother, we went into the one of the boats. We went to Senegal. We went and my sister, my younger sister went to my mom and then they got the boat, went to Portugal. And my middle sister was with a neighbour. They went to...

far away from the part of our country and then return to Bissau, then move to Portugal. So it's a separation of a family. You don't know what's going to happen and then you don't have any news of your loved one. And it's a really, really tough time. And only when you feel like you're strong enough to remember, but also move on because...

Life is beautiful. We have so many opportunities and I'm grateful for the opportunities that I had and make me be where I am today. And I can't complain. Life's a funny thing, isn't it? Because the experiences we go through make us who we are. And like you just said, you know, you wouldn't be who you are and we love who you are. Absolutely love that. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. So just, okay. With the family then, are you...

because you were talking about separation, but now, do you see each other? Yes, we reunited a few years back in Portugal, Lisbon. But my mom was already there for one year. She was trying to get us back together. She was there with my little one, my little sister. And then I was the first one who joined them in Lisbon.

Then my middle sister came after. My brother, he spent like eight years waiting in Bissau for the visa because he was young and then they were recruiting youngers to be fighting for the situation. So they didn't want to give her the visa to move to Portugal because although we, Guinea -Bissau is one of the...

five countries that speak Portuguese, that were colonized by Portuguese. So therefore, there's some people with the national Portuguese nationality, but there's some people if you don't have, you have to get the visa to enter the country. Although even we were in that situation of a civil war that, you know, they cannot help everyone, but those who have more opportunity, they did help. And I was one of the lucky ones who got a visa.

right after one year of the silver world and then I moved to Portugal. Not one year, but almost. So I moved to Portugal, then here two years later, my sister came. Seven years later, my brother came and then we reunited. But my dad didn't want to move because he was living in Portugal, especially for many years. And then when he returned,

A few years later, the situation happened in Guinea-Bissau, where he said, I saw everything in Europe. My goal now is to stay in Guinea-Bissau and then live there and then try hard. I know the situation right now, but he believed that that is the right choice to stay at that point. Because you never know, we can at some point want to return to Guinea -Bissau. We have to have a base. Absolutely. Yeah. So that is the story.

from my side, even from Guinea-Bissau, moving to Portugal. Fantastic. Thank you for sharing that. It's very insightful as well. Hard times, but you've gone through some stuff. And again, you're the man you are today because of that. Interesting. OK. What do you like better, Portugal or London? Well, Portugal is always a, we as a PALOP,

When we said Palops is a Portuguese country that's Portuguese descendant or Portuguese country that speak Portuguese or African country that speak Portuguese, sorry. So when we always said PALOP, we refer to those countries. So Portugal for us is like a bridge where we all have to be there. We all at some point have to...

you know, start the life there or build the life there because it's our own goal. And of course, lived in Portugal for 12 years or 13 years. So I know I love Portugal so much. But the difference I found when I moved to London was the life, the energy and the open mind of London. And...

So cosmopolitan also, you have so many different people, different nationalities living in the same place, especially in London, because I moved straight to London. And the fast pace of living in London makes me happy. It makes me different. And when I said to people, Rico before was a very shy boy, a very quiet, they don't believe because today...

Of course, I'm a dancer and I'm an entertainer and I can approach the people in a way very happy, very approachable and talk. But before I will be here in this room and then it will be the quiet one because I'm never scared to talk. But today I express myself and I talk normally. I don't have any fear or any problem. I will say down to London.

the atmosphere in London, the way I feel, breathe differences in London, it made me feel and then the pace of life in London is completely different to Portugal. And of course that make a big difference in my life. And I have Alfalfa. I love Lisbon. But I will say to my people, I love to live in London.

They say, why? The weather is not good. And blah, blah, blah. I said, do you think I think too much about the weather? If I think about the weather, I'm not going to be here. I'll stay in Lisbon. But I think about something else. I think about the life I have. I think about the opportunities I've got as soon as I moved to London. I think about the project that made my life and made my family also around me a better person.

overall, financially and everything. Because Portugal was in crisis, not only Portugal, I think the world was in really big crisis in 2008, 2009. So it was the time when I started thinking to move to the UK to try. And 2011, I decided to move. And you're happy with that decision?

I'm happy, but it was a funny story actually, if I can share that funny part of the story that it's always made me think. Yes, I was thinking to move in 2009 with my cousin Eddie Vents, which is another big name in terms of a Kizomba instructor, dancer and organiser. So we always...

being together, we always do things together in Portugal, from Guinea to Portugal and then England. So the funny story, we decided to move to England in 2008, 2009, 2008. And then they said, okay, get your passport ready. We're going to move to UK, 2009. I said, yeah, we're going to move. I have my passport. Everything is ready. We're going to go. He said, okay, I got my...

Flight, where is yours? I say, yeah, you know, don't worry. I will get mine You know don't it's it's quick. So I was in love with a girl. Okay. Yes I didn't I didn't say anything to him But we were deciding to move to UK because we want to change things we want to be connected with the Kizomba more and then I think he was connected with the Marie Doyan, which is one of the organizers here also in UK

And then Maridó was giving him an insight. If you come to London, this is what's going to happen. You're going to have more opportunities. You know, Kizomba will grow because we have opportunities. We have places, you know, we can organize. You already organized it in Portugal. So you're just going to be in a big place where you're going to have more people. So we can.

I said to him, yeah, where are we going to go? So it took me two years to decide to move. And he was waiting for me. And then I was in love. I said, cousin, sorry, but at this time I cannot move. Love conquers all, right? So this is a funny story. Sometimes love take over. And then we have to, you know, the plans we have in our life, we have to put it to the side for a little while and then, you know. That is a funny story, but a nice story.

It involves love, so that's all good. That's all good. no, great Rico. Thank you. Thank you very much for sharing those insights about you. And I'll give you, okay, I'll let you have it 50 -50. You didn't choose one, but it's okay. Yeah, Lisbon and London equal. They're still. No worry. Okay.

We, I guess, move on then to a bit about Kizomba then, because obviously we're going to talk about Kizomba. But I wanted to find out and maybe to tell people watching, in terms of Kizomba, because you do it so well and it's part of your life, you live and breathe it, what was kind of like the earliest memory for you of Kizomba? So was that watching family, parents or anything like that? Just want to find out, what were the early parts for that? Well.

We, as a Pallop, again, are going to use the word Pallop to identify these five countries that speak Portuguese, well -acronized by Portuguese, Angola, Mozambique, Santomé, Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde. We have music and dance since our birth, so we're going to have a family gathering. The music will be there. And...

the dance also will be there. Even if you're young, you will be dancing with your auntie or mom or sister, you know, always going to be dancing and then the music always going to be around. And that's my early memories. And because since young age, we have music around, we have parties around. And but to be precise, to say Kizomba, Kizomba, it wasn't in our...

mine, Watieski Zumba at that time. So what we're going to have, it's the music, a variation of the music from, you know, African countries, Palop countries, and, you know, Latin countries, Brazilian music also. So we have variation of the music who will be played in our gathering, parties, family thing.

So therefore, it makes us, in terms of how we absorb the music so much and enrich our hear and then our soul in terms of the music. Then when the Kizomba start to get into the mainstream, we already have so much. And I was lucky to leave just the backyard of a big club in Guinea Bissau called Tropicana.

For those who've been listening to this, they will remember Tropicana. I live just a bit in the backyard of that big club with the music from the club will come to my house almost every weekend. So from young age, I was listening to the music. I was going there when I was already 10, 11. I was going there around because they used to do matinee and just be...

out there, the door, looking for people who go there to dance because we are not allowed, too young. And listen to the music. And also because that's time to time they used to do a dance competition. So we'll be there trying to look who is the best dancer, who is the good one. So and at that time, I would say a lot of Zouk music, a lot of Antillian music was there. Like a main thing.

And of course, saying that it might be down to 80s, late 80s. So at that time, Zouk was really, really, really a big thing in all African countries, especially for us as a palette. So music, dance was already for me in my early age. So.

It was easy for me to get into the Kizomba world by being exposed with the music and dance at an early age. So it was just basically all around you, all around the family, all around just something you grew up with. Just don't even think about it. It's just there, right? Yeah. Pretty much. Yeah, it's there. So that's why we said sometimes we lucky. Yeah. It's not everyone because everyone has a different approach. Yeah. Because...

To be honest, I was a sporty boy. So I play basketball for people who know me. My nickname in basketball is Fox. Fox. Fox. Because I'm very smooth and quiet to take the ball. So you just move and everything basically? To take the ball from the people. And I was very good in shooting three points.

My name used to be a fox. So for the basketball people, they know me as a fox. In the Kizomba world, they know me as Rico Suave. It's a funny, another funny twist of my story that is. Interesting. Do you still play ball every now and then? Yeah, I do. I do sometimes, but now I switch to tennis, which is another funny story. I will explain later on how tennis came to my life.

Okay. Well, I think we know who's a tennis player here so we can talk about this Rico. Definitely. Okay. No worries. It's funny because they said dancing and sport, sometimes they can be in the same package, but not all the sport people can dance. You can have a dancer that can play, but the sporty person that switch the dance is very rare to see.

But dancing and sport, they are in the same category, I would say, because it helps you to find a balance. It helps you with your mental and everything. So interesting again. This is all good stuff. All good stuff. So a lot of people, like you said in the beginning of the interview, a lot of people doesn't know. And this is the opportunity also as a...

person had been for many years in the Kizomba world to share something that they don't know. They just see Rico dancer, Rico, old happy person out there on the dance floor and, you know, teacher. But there is no stories behind that. It makes sense for me to be here where I am today because of the past. Absolutely. And I think you're going to get some people now when you go out dancing.

Say, okay, when we play tennis, Rico, or, you know, let's go and shoot some hoops. So it is good. We share. That's what it's all about. You know what I mean? Actually, we have a group of people that dance also, that always trying to make a group of us to go and have a, you know, ball to shoot and have a few group of tennis players also, we do play with them. But the funny story of the tennis.

because I just learned tennis during the lockdown. It was from a lovely lady that was doing the private lesson with her during the lockdown. And then she had a tennis court in the house. So I was a fan of tennis way before I met her because I love to watch tennis. I love the sport. And then it was like a coincidence.

She invited me to for the she booked me for the private lesson. And then we start talking. And I was sharing my passion for sport and dance. And then I said one of the sports I love, but never played was tennis. So we have a combination. I want to learn from you. But also I can teach you exactly how to play tennis. Exactly. And of course, when he said, learn how to play tennis.

In your 40s, it's not the same when you started because everyone started tennis when they were five years old or 10 years old because it makes more sense to play. Of course, I'm not playing as a professional, but it's a very technical and a very physical sport. So therefore, for me to learn, it has to be this combination. Fun, dance, and then fun, tennis, just to get on with it. Can I ask you?

Has anybody says you have smooth strokes yet? Smooth tennis strokes. Has anybody said that to you yet? I think the lady who helped me in Morack, she always said, Rico, I'm impressed with your improvement because it doesn't happen often to see somebody just started to learn from the, you know, I was in lockdown now to have...

really smooth strokes there. Backhand and forehand and you know, it's there. You might be a person that everything you try to do, you go for it to do it well. I said yes, I am like that. And why not? Yeah, that's how it should be. Yeah. No, that's cool. Thank you, Rico. This is excellent. This is cool. All right. So let's get into Kizomba then. So in terms of Kizomba,

I just want to ask you if you could, so, you know, obviously I know you for some time, you know, seen you dance, been to your classes, your events. So obviously I know Kazomba a bit, but for people who are watching this podcast, who do not know much about Kizomba and they're discovering it for the first time, you know, what would you say to them? How would you describe this amazing dance to them? What would you, what would you say? Well, it's a very, very good, good question. And,

A lot of people ask this question many times. And then there is so many people answering the different way. I would say Kizomba is a way of life. I would say Kizomba, it's something that is part of who is involved in a Kizomba. Kizomba become part of your life. Dancing music become part of your life.

And then when you have something that is part of your life, it makes you love that thing, it makes you have the passion for that thing, and then it makes you feel good with that specific thing. And then Kizomba, it's all that. It's family, it's love, it's everything. It's part of life. It's your breathing. You breathe music and dance. You breathe Kizomba if you like it, if you love it.

So therefore it's a life. It's part of my life. It's part of the life of many other people. And I would say it changed life of many people out there. Absolutely. So Kizomba is life. Life. Okay. No, great answer. Great answer. And I totally agree because once you start this thing, it's very hard to let it go. Very, very, very hard to let it go to the point I've said before that when I had my first lesson,

I actually didn't like it. And the other reason why I didn't like it was because I couldn't do it well. Yeah. But I stuck with it. And, you know, years later, I just, yeah, it's part of life. Yeah. You know, so anybody who's new to Kizomba, you're thinking about it. Trust, well, we can guarantee that you would love, you would love the music, you love the community. So please just dive in and just do it. That's what we would say. Really. Okay. So that's Kizomba. I know this is the Kizomba.

podcast but apart from Kizomba obviously there's other variations of dance in there so we have obviously Semba, Tarraxinha, Ghetto-Zouk so are you able just to very briefly just touch on each of those so again the people who are thinking about you know this dance can see and understand what those other dances are. Well it's very important because for me when I'm explaining about Kizomba I'm always very careful to explain under the Kizomba umbrella.

you're going to have Semba. Semba is the father of Kizomba. It's very important for me to explain that because before Kizomba is Semba. And then if Semba doesn't exist, Kizomba also wouldn't be here. But because Kizomba became so popular, so quick, that people forget that the source is Semba. The source is actually Semba that gave...

Kizomba what we have today. But under the Kizomba umbrella, you have Semba, of course, as a music and dance. So how would you describe Semba? Semba, it's the traditional music and dance from Angola and also involves all those traditional music and dance that evolved from the early 50s until now we have.

Semba is very present in our community and in the events. So Semba is the same as what we said. It's family, it's gathering, it's a tradition. You have it, you live it, you feel it. From the instrument to the music to the dance. And it's another way of life also.

So Semba from Angola is there and then he has all his evolution also to get into the point where we have Kizomba afterwards. But Kizomba came in the mix of Semba and then when also Zouk is getting so popular in Africa. So therefore the mix came together and then he make it worldwide. But it was a funny story because the main man who created

They didn't know what they were doing at that time. So they couldn't call it Semba because it's not Semba. So they have to call a name. So the name who came up as a Kizomba, Kizomba means party, means festa. So Kizomba also means festa. So it's the same name. So therefore they said, what we're doing is Kizomba. So we're doing music for the party.

You know, so therefore that name stick to that style of playing Eduardo Payne was doing. So therefore he stays forever. That we have what we have today because of that man. So we have to say thank you for Eduardo to give this change of scenario and the music. And then today we have Kizomba and Kizomba today is the worldwide.

We cannot just say Kizomba is from Angola because everyone is consuming Kizomba so much that anywhere you go, you have Kizomba. And people are producing Kizomba music. People are singing in Portuguese in their language also as part of this connection of Kizomba that brings people together. Absolutely. No, that's great. So Semba the father, thank you Kizomba. So then we have...

Tarraxinha, Ghetto zouk is a music, Ghetto zouk is not a dance. So when we explain on the countries that have shared the same culture, I would say music, we have Angola with Semba, Kizomba, we have Cape Verde with Funana, which is their traditional music and dance. And...

Coladera, which is also very known in under Kizomba umbrella. But Coladera also, there is a dance, music and dance. When you go to Guinea -Bissau, you have a Gumbe, Gumbe and Tina. So Gumbe, it's very similar to Soukous from Congo. The way you dance, it's very hips down movement all around.

And also we have other traditional music and dance called Tina. And then when you move to Santo Me we have Puita. And then when you move to Mozambique you have Marabenta. So there's all those traditional dances. Also they influence the way they play with it. So our, I would say our music mixing.

from Gumbe to Zouk and then a little bit of Kizomba from Angola, we call it Mebatida in Guinea Bissau. So it's a similar, but then we have to label it. Like it's not Kizomba because Kizomba belongs to Angola. So how are we going to label it? We, our musician, most of them call it Afro Zouk because it's the Zouk influence with our own traditional flavour. So we call it Afro Zouk because...

It doesn't belong to Kizomba itself because it's from Angola and then even Kizomba, the word, it came from Kimbundu. So Kimbundu is in a dialect from Angola. So it doesn't belong to us. So how are we going to call our way of making music or our name or make it more worldwide as Afrozok? So our music, if we said it sounds like a Kizomba, yes, it sounds like Kizomba, but it doesn't.

doesn't belong to Kizomba, it's Afro -Zouk. So we have Oliver Ngo Amara also from Gabon. So his music is Afro -Zouk. But why? Because it has the influence of the producers to be a Capoeirian who give that flavour of colander, a flavour of a little bit of Funana and morna into it. So it became Afro -Zouk.

So we also take those under the Kizomba umbrella to say, it's another Kizomba because it has a rhythm, it has the instrument, it has the layers of instrument that give it to Kizomba flavour. So when it comes to Tarashinya, it's more like when we say the new generation of a youngest, they feel the need to have something different than dancing like old school.

So they create the slower tempo. The DJs create the slower tempo from the Kizomba beat or some people say from the Kuduro, which is another traditional dance from Angola. Very, very young Kuduro. It's part of the Angola heritage and Angola dance. So music and dance. So they will say Kuduro, Tarraxinha also driven from...

from Kuduru because they slow down the beat, they make it hard and the youngest is the one who used more of those type of dance, which is just more to, I would say close, hold and then just feel the music and you don't need to move. So, Tarraxinha, name, Tarraxo means screwed. So therefore, sometimes people miss.

and they interpret the Tarraxinha because it's a dirty dance because you just rub. Of course, there's all different levels in terms of that. So by saying that, Mozambique, they have their own mix from Marrabenta to Zouk and then it's also we call it Kizomba. In Guinea-Bissau, Gumbe with the Zouk and a little bit of flavour of...

we call it Afro-Zouk in Santomé, the same thing, so all the singers were mixing, so the fusion of this and that, we will all call those type of music as a Kizomba overall. But if we go deep to understand and explain, we always make those from Mozambique, Santomé, Guinea Bissau, we make it more as Afro-Zouk, Kizomba, it's belong to...

of Angola mainly. Wow. So thank you. This is part of the musicality. When we talk about it, I explain this way and then there is other teachers also explain how the origin of this and how it changed and how we have so many layers afterwards. It's so generational thing because Semba was the old school. When Kizomba came up, it was already getting into a certain level and

age in Angola. So then the age went down and so therefore they have the need to create a different feel, a feeling of music and that's how Tarashinja came up at that time. So also Gerozuk as a music came also very late in 2000s. So therefore he was Cabo Verdean musicians that

live outside of Cape Verde, started to create those type of music, which is mainly R &B, hip hop orientated with some of the Zouk. That's why they call it the ghetto Zook. So they mix it. And every time when they sing those type of music, they would just rap or they would just do it in English. So therefore they are, you know, the new generation was growing up in Holland.

So therefore they have more intent to rap or do the R &B version of their song. Yeah. Rico, this is amazing and it's good to hear, you know, even people who've been dancing for a long time don't necessarily know about this unless they maybe come to you in a musicality class or something like that. But so it's just good to hear. And especially if somebody who's new watching this podcast or new to Kizomba, all this kind of stuff, it kind of builds so you can get the foundation to understand it as well. So...

I'm learning loads, so thank you. This is important part of this. When we talk about certain things in terms of Kizomba, of course, for the people who have the source and have the knowledge, it's important to share. And this is the opportunity for people to get this knowledge out there. And of course, there is more.

There is more people doing the good stuff. So when we talk about the people are doing the good stuff, teachers and organizers, so we will talk about the pioneers of this movement. This doesn't come from me. I actually take time to absorb and then also learn from them. Mestre Petru from Angola lives in Portugal. Zebar Boze from Cape Verde started this movement.

Thomas Keita, which is, we call it the King of Kizomba. So, of Lino Chantre and so many others that started, the pioneers, Antonio Banderas. So those people I've absorbed so much from them. I watched them, been around them when I was living in Portugal. And when I moved to London, I still follow them. I still talk to them.

Because this is the way we actually learn and then improve. Because we don't know better. We always have to search for more. And the source is from the people actually being there and do more and then go and drink from their knowledge. And then you can share the same knowledge to others. Of course, you have to measure the things, you have to have the balance because...

There's so many information out there, but you don't know each information is the correct or the right one. So you have to do your own work and then make sure you know the things right. So therefore you can share it. Now, that's great. And you mentioned Petchu there and you mentioned the King of Kizomba. So were these some of your influences then? Yes. I drink a lot of the...

knowledge since I started to get involved. And I would say because in Portugal, when I was living in Portugal, I started early. So in 2000, me and my cousin, Eddie, we started to organize party in one of the big clubs in Portugal called Musulo. So we just doing the steps towards what we love, which is music and dance. And then

Kizomba parties at that time. And we had our club afterwards where we used to do nights and New Year parties also. And we did organize one of the elimination for Africa Dancer. So in our club, we call it the New Black, the name of the club at that time. So we did many things before we fully involved in

organizing events, big events or teaching. And then even myself, I was already giving the classes to the kids in one of the associations, Pénachon, they call it Pénachon, where I was teaching the Gumbe from my country to the kids. So at the end of the year, we will be presenting.

like Pechu would be present a traditional music and dance from Angola. I will present in my side of Guinea Bissau, there is some Cabo Verdean who present the Funana and other stuff to the kids at the end of the school year school. So I've been involved on so many things before I moved to the UK. But teaching Kizomba and then sharing the knowledge only...

here in London started. Because before I was just a really good social dancer, going around dancing and organizing few parties in Lisbon. So was teaching always in the plan for you or was it just evolved? Another good question. So teaching wasn't the plan because we never thought like we could teach Kizomba. Because...

Kizomba for us is a social dance. So you go there, you go out, you enjoy the dance. But people are doing the dance, they will say, you do that move, how? And then you end up explaining. So this is the way I do the move. But by explaining, you start feeling like there is more people want to copy your move or wants to do what you do. And the need of teaching starts to come up.

naturally to people. Because what we do is the basic stuff of the dance. We feel the music. Doesn't matter what music. Like I said before, it used to be African party. We call it the Noites Africanas. Noites Africanas. You're learning Portuguese, so it's good for you to remember. Noites Africanas, the African party, means you play everything.

So today what we have is Kizomba party. It doesn't have anything to do with Noites Africana or African party. Why? Because today when you go to Kizomba party, Kizomba night, it's only Kizomba, Semba, Tarashinyan day. Only. And then if you play any other type of music out of that, Brian, you have problems because they will complain. Because they are there.

to dance all night non -stop. In African party or Noites Africanas, you will play everything. You open the night with a nice Semba music from Brazil. You will go all the way to Succos. You go all the way to Coupe de Calais for Abercos. You go to reggae music. You will go to Caribbean music. You will go to... So everything will be played during the night. So therefore you have time.

for the music that doesn't inspire you, you go to the bar, you drink, you go to your friend, you talk. But today, if you stop in a Kizomba night to talk, somebody will come and poke you. Let's go. You say, but I'm talking. Yes, we are here to dance. So there is a different approach at this point in terms of Kizomba parties. And for us, if you see...

in the parties, in the Kizomba parties, they will be around the bar and then they will talk in most of the time. And so it's a different reality at the moment, but we're happy with it because we still have few Noites Africana, but not so much here in London. It's rare, but you still have few. Okay. Yeah, but...

that is more Kizomba parties, Kizomba nights. Cool, cool. So teaching was just something that I guess that just happened then. Like you said, people were looking at your moves and you know, it didn't necessarily set out to say, okay, I want to be a teacher and all that kind of stuff. It was just, yeah. Yeah. So when I was explaining, actually going back to explain the move to England with my cousin Eddie, it was the plan to

continue to organize our parties in the UK. But because I was already a very good social dancer, Eddie was suggesting, he said, you know what, go to Petru, get the learning how to teach and things before you move. Go to Antonio Banderas, which is another good teacher there. So go to them and...

tried to get something because when we moved to London, I'm already the organizer. That's why I call his name as Eddie Vance, the organizer, so the events. And then I said, okay, I went to Petru and then went to Banderas to try to get some before I moved to UK. But at that time it was already very close to the date where I was moving. So my intention was already, yeah, it was already there.

When I came to the UK, because I have other friends that also were teaching here, Miguel Monteiro, from my country actually, and he was already teaching here. So it was connected with, they call it the Kizomba UK. So therefore Kizomba UK with Iris, Brito, Marie Doyan, and Danilo, that also organized party here. And...

So those people was already having a big party with the Latin party combined in Voxo. They call it El Grande. So when I moved here, El Grande was already here, big. And there is another guy, Louis Sinclair also used to connect with Eddie organizing the party and used to take people actually to Lisbon for the Africa dancer. From UK to Africa dancer.

And Miguel Monteiro was already teaching here also in Brixton area. So there is a few people setting up here already. So my intention with my cousin is to come here to fill the gap of another teacher. So it took time. It took time because I came here without English, struggling to understand people. I was just smiling around. You say, Rico, how are you?

Whatever they said, I would just be smiling because I didn't understand. So it took me quite, I would say nine months or 10 to get into the language first. But at that period of time, I was following my cousin because as he was waiting for me to come to UK, he end up getting to teaching.

He didn't want to, but he ended up getting into the teaching at that point because he was waiting for me. I never came. Two years later I came. So he was already teaching. He created the Pitanga team, a dance group, and he was already teaching. And then To'Costa also was already there in the group as a DJ. And we incorporate other people also.

like Chipper, which is one of the guys from Agro Costa, do Coupe De Calais. So he created the team. And then when I came, I was doing Funana with Anna, and I had a Capoeirian girl that was in part of the team. And then I partnered up with her to do Funana. And then I was doing Gumbe because I came already with all those dances, background.

So he was pretty much coming here, getting into the dancing world with my cousin because he was already travelling around, his name was already getting big. And the need for another person to take over some parts of the places where I could go, I was meant to do that. So I've learned from him how to teach here and there.

I've learned the language with my Mrs. Gemma was helping me with the English. And then there's another funny story, a love story. So moving to England, London without English, have to learn the language before start teaching was a... I was going to ask you, you know, how it must have been challenging. Yeah. It was a challenge because...

Everyone wants me to teach straight away when I arrived. Even my friend Miguel arrived. He was already doing Wednesday night. And it's where I met my missus. So I went there to visit him. I saw my missus there helping in the class and at the door. And then the week after, I went back. I saw an English, beautiful English.

dancers, let me go back and you see. And she was there again. And then I said, OK, week after, let me go again. So then my friend said, Rico, are you coming to my place often, every week? What's going on? I said, I just love the vibe of this place. So was was the starting point, but no English at that time. And then I start connecting with my missus, Gemma, and at that time.

start trying to translate from the Google Translate when I want to talk to her. And so many funny stories of it. And so, yeah. And then she helped me to set up because she's a school teacher. And she gave me a methodology of how to approach the students, how to talk to people. I would be standing in a living room with her and...

I trained myself to say the things in the right way. Even though I didn't have so much vocabulary in terms of English, but I was trying. So that process, like you said, it was a really tough process for me because people want me to teach. But I didn't want to get into the teaching before I'm ready to explain. Because for me, the very important thing is to transmit what you feel because Kizomba is about feeling.

If you don't know how to explain what you're feeling to other people to understand, it's pointless because the dance is connected, it's feeling, everything has to be there. So for me, it took that time, but I'm glad I took that time to learn how to do the things in a proper way because as soon as I started, I feel like I fit in into the...

teaching world, dancing world. So well, that eight or nine months of going around, training myself, listening to people, listening to the right people was just perfect. I would love for people to take that time to acknowledge what they need in order to start teaching, in order to start creating something for other people. And that's a great story and great to listen to as well. And obviously you mentioned your cousin Eddie. So Eddie,

Eddie Vents, another great dancer, great teacher, great at what he does as well. But you mentioned the fact that he didn't really want to be a teacher. So both of you kind of got into it, not in the way that you wanted to, but then you're both amazing at it, right? So it was just interesting. Yeah, it's a story because when we were organizing things in Portugal, Lisbon, we were just organizers. I was a good...

social dancer, he was always good in terms of music. He has knowledge of the music. It's huge. And he has, you know, vinyls and he has CDs and at that time music from all the singers from Pallop and not only Pallop. And he will tell you, you know, the album of this from here or whatever. And he used to work with his bag.

a rock sack or bag of, you know, music. So he was a music lover. And not so much in terms of dance, but we all have that basic dance we do. So I was more into the dance. I was more doing other type of dance. I would be in Musulu jumping in the circle of dance doing Kupere Kale, doing Kuduru, doing whatever. So...

There is a few people who jump and then do those type of dance because you have to be very out of, you know, that comfort zone. They just dance in Kizomba to do those things. So I was one of the few from my country, Guinea -Bissau, that would go to those places and then do those dances because I had that background of Goombay before. So I danced it before. So I feel more comfortable to do it. Eddie, not so much.

but it has the other side of it. So we combined, it was the dance, it was the mind, organized the mind of the music and ideas. So even though when we were organizing the parties in Portugal, I was at the door, selling tickets, dancing with the customers. It was playing the music and then, you know, also entertaining the cast. So we were doing almost everything like...

We didn't have the experience in terms of organizing, delegating things around. We were doing like everything by ourselves. I would dance. And then when somebody wants to pay, I would say yes, go on. So it's a funny part of our journey in terms of Kizama. But today we organize events. He had a big event. He started from a big event here in London. And then when he moved to America also.

He did big events there, you know, Miami Beach Festival. And he did Semba Bootcamp, one of the first person who started this Semba journey, Semba events in 2012, long time ago. And also, also he always have a vision for us to do more and more and to share with the community. So the dancing, the teaching came along.

And then along the way, we learned how to make it as a part of our job, as a main job for 10 years, 11 years, it'd been my main job. So I do it with love and I feel good with it. Yeah, we can see the love that you do it with Mr. Smooth or well, Suave, anyway, I'm gonna let that go. No, and that's great. And, you know, both of you, both of you are...

because I'm beneath both of you, I believe, because you both great at what you do. So please don't go anywhere. So thank you, Rico. So what I want to ask you now then is just about, is about you and your performances. So, you know, I have seen you dance many times, often, and, you know, I remember seeing you one time.

at a festival, you were dancing, you were doing performance. I'm watching you and I'm thinking, wow. Yeah, in terms of the level of the execution of the moves, lots of practice that you had to do. What I want to ask you is around your partners, because you have danced with many different partners. So when you are dancing with them and you...

you dance very well with everyone that you've been a partner with. So question is around, because you perform so much, how do you choose those partners and get, I guess, how do you, what goes, what's the process in making sure you've got that connection and why would you choose one person over another if that makes sense? Do you know what I mean? Where's the, what makes you say, okay, right, this is you and I. You know what I mean? No, it's a natural process. We...

In my case, I don't choose because of dance ability or shape or no. Like I said, when I moved to London, Eddie was already creating the Pitanga. So Pitanga more or less has the, you know, leaders and followers of male and female. So I connect with Anna the Pina as the first. She's a converting.

So we connect, we dance, we feel good in the dance, and then we start performing. So the process of performance is another level where you have to put things that fit in your body, in your feeling, and to combine with your partner to present to people to look entertained, to look good, to look happy. And of course, everything has its own time and...

period of time where you feel like, okay, I need to change here and there. So yeah, we start in the Pitanga with Anna de Pina and then in a few years later or one year later, there is another young girl came up, Josie at that time, and then also get part of the Pitanga. And then we connect also because she was already in a...

really high level in terms of dance. She came from France and with Dombolo background, she's Angolan, but also more within Dombolo background. So the movement from her is pure African move. So therefore we connect in a dance, we connect in a feeling of the dance. We decide to participate in the Africa Dance Star competition here in London.

We won the elimination here to represent the UK in Portugal. But then she had the injury in her leg, so we couldn't go to Portugal to participate in Africa Dancer. Then that the need of getting more exposed in terms of dance came up. So we partnered up, we start travelling and teaching. Then I create my own night.

Kizomba Suave nights at that time. So therefore create my team. Josie also was part of my team of Kizomba Suave night. We were teaching together, travelling until, you know, we, I think we spent two, three years and a half together, travelling, performing, creating the shows, which is not easy at all. I can imagine. Because you have to have the element of show. Yes.

but also you have to have an element of the grounded, which is the dance. And we know in the Kizomba world, if you don't put those things together, people think like you're not doing Kizomba because Kizomba is a social dance, but it's not a dance to perform. So how to combine those things, as your question is, it's very difficult because you have to make sure as the mainstream for us to perform was in a salsa event.

Sorry, salsa events where they are, the standard is high because they've been doing it for many years. And those dances are fit for show. Kizomba doesn't fit for show. So we always have to bring some elements into it that for the purest people or the traditional, the culture, they will say, that is not Kizomba, that is not Semba. Because you're mixing some tricks and, you know,

But it's an element of show that you put inside. So for us, with the Josie, we were just very careful with finding the right way to make the things together, to blend them together. And we succeed because we mix the African dance into our Kizomba and Semba routine and the choreography. And we worked very well until, you know, as everything in a live, you get the point where...

doesn't work. Then we have a student, I had a student at that point was Adda, which is the next dance partner I had. Also my missus actually before all this was my dance partner. We did perform in Holland, we did perform in Finland. We travelled together a few times at that time. But because she's a school teacher, she couldn't follow me because I was getting...

booked up and she could leave the kids. Yeah. Okay. She couldn't follow. He said, Rico, look, I'm sorry. I love you, but I cannot follow because I have my main job. And then I can see you getting so much, the demand of you going here and there. I can't travel with you all the time. I can, I cannot have you, you know, this.

of coming back on Sunday night to go back to work or to have to travel on Friday night just to get into it. So therefore I have to have a permanent dance partner. She, you know, give me the opportunities and support me on that. So yeah, I had the jazzy and then performed very well. All the shows was, as you mentioned, was amazing. Then I had Adda. Adda was a student.

and then was a student with the potential. This is where we also as a teacher, we always look for the potential. That's why the competitions and this little competition is very good. So we always get some talents coming up from from there. And then we work around it. So Ada was the same of dancing background. He has a dance background before.

probably contemporary and belly dance. So when it comes to Kizomba, it was already dancing, but it was dancing in a different way. So we have to shape that dance because she was moving, it's too much. Too much Shakira movement. But I have to say Rico, so you know what I said earlier just a few minutes ago that I was watching you dance once and I thought it was just amazing. So it actually was with Adda.

You were at a festival in Sardinia some years ago and you guys did a performance on one night and I was like, wow. I don't know how you got to that level. You know what I mean? It's the work we put together and then the connection we have in each move we choose to do and they fit very well. And I would say she's a hard worker. So she's a very talented lady that...

work hard to get where she wants to. And at a time when we start working, there is non -stop improvement. And luckily, you saw that part of our work that we put on stage. We had three shows, actually, during the four years and a half we worked together. And plus the demos that go viral.

internet and Facebook with a million views and so on. So yeah, it was a really, really good time because the time where I create a festival in Sardinia. The festival in Sardinia is from myself, DJ Paparazzi and James Sean, one of the really good organisers in Birmingham, now lives in Sardinia.

does he live in Saudi? Like him. We are here suffering with the cold. It's the Chinese looking, all tan. Abs out. And then I'm a black, but looking really pale. So, yeah. We love you, James. We love you. James, we love you. So, yeah, we create the festival by the feeling of friendship. And we even...

called the festival is the Festival of Friendship. Yes, I remember that. The Kizomba Festival of Friendship. Yes, Sardinia Afro Beach Festival. So yeah, the projects we had around the Kizomba is immense. Always to try and bring the community together. Absolutely. So Sardinia was one of them. Kizomba Suave Nights was one of them. Also when I...

I started my Wednesday nights and with my cousin we always create matinee, we call it Kizomba matinee on Sundays before. And you also create pitanga theme, I create a suave theme. So yeah, we did a lot during this 12 years, I would say. And everything is just to give back what the community is also, you know.

asking. So they asking for more we give what we have and then also they support us along the way for many years. So we give them back. And the same now you're doing with your Kizomba Conversation podcast, which is to give people back what you really love, what you really like. And this is the way forward. The world is much better when we actually give the love. Yeah. And

Give it, share it. In return, we will have it back. Absolutely. Amazing. Amazing. So your Mrs.

Adda, Josie, Josie, any other dance partners that you've had? Manon was the latest one. Yeah. Also we create a diverse sound party, which is one of the parties I've been for one year and a few months now. Yeah. Until a few months ago, we split up and in terms of the partnership.

but also another talented dancer, a young lady, that we created this project of the Versailles Monthly Party. She had her own London Kizomba school where we were doing courses of Kizomba. So London is lucky to have these lot of good teachers and

not so much couples, but time to time you have a few couples around that create a really good partnership and projects around in Kizomba that give back to the community, to the students and people who love Kizomba. Even though we bring in more people to Kizomba because what they see, it's what they said, okay, let me try. I never...

and have a try before, let's just go and find out. We have a lot of message of people saying, what is this dance? It looks like something, but we don't know. Some people say it looks like African tango. Yes, it looks like. So there's so many people interested to come and learn. It's just a matter of making them do the first step. And that's why our demos and shows,

has to be something that they can relate to, connect, so therefore they can come. Otherwise they will feel like, this is too difficult for us, too much for us, so therefore we can't make. So everything we do is always to try and make sure we bring people into our community and to the dance and to love what we do and to make them also feel the same as we feel. Yes, yes, yes, yes, keep doing it, keep doing it. Okay. great.

In terms of dancing then, so obviously you have, you know, Kizomba, but then I see you dance sometimes and I think that you kind of throw maybe elements of other dances into your dance. Is that a correct assumption to say? Yeah, if we look to the dance itself, music, it's all a blend and fusion of something.

So it's impossible for somebody to say, I'm really purist of this or that. I don't put any element of whatever dance you decide to call. There is always a fusion of something. So my dance, the dynamic of my dance, I always make sure I'm ahead of everything I did before.

So therefore, I'm in the Kizomba. I will try to do the Kizomba in a way that I'm not just doing what I did a few years ago. I have to evolve. So by evolving means I have to put some element that wasn't belongs to a few years ago. It belongs to new generation of steps, a new generation of movements, because the music also changed. So you make the shape of our body.

or body movement also to adapt. So by adapting, you create something. And of course, the main important thing is to keep the source, to keep the roots of your dance. That's why those people who didn't keep the roots of the dance, the dance changed and we had to find another name for those changes, which is when the urban kids came up.

because they didn't keep the roots of the dance. So therefore, their dance doesn't belong to what we do as a Kizomba or semba. It belongs to something else. So that's why the fight of that time to find a name because what you're doing is not Kizomba and blah, blah, blah. So when you do the elements of a fusion of something in your dance, you have to remember to keep the roots of the dance in there. Yeah.

When you change it completely, you have to change the name. So call it something else because it's not the same anymore. In my dance, of course, I put some elements of, I would say, a soft tango move, the sliding, the catching leg or whatever, we would call it. It's all meant to be a different type. It's not a grounded dance, it came from Semba, which is on the floor, or Kizomba also.

It's a similar, just the energy of it because Kizomba and semba in terms of the dance is the same. There's nothing different there. The only difference is the energy you're going to use from one dance to another or one music to another. Then you identify that Semba is more proactive in a way. You do a lot of footwork and the energy is different. Kizomba you do exactly the same, but the energy is different. So therefore it looks like a different.

different dance, but it's the same. It's the same thing. Yeah. Okay. Because it's really fun watching you when you throw some different moves in there and it looks good. And we can always tell that the ladies are enjoying it as well. Thank you. Okay. So you mixed the elements in there. So what I want to ask you then is what's your, do you have a preference? So you mentioned,

the different dance styles at the beginning, by the people who fairly knew. But do you have a preference from Semba, Kizomba, Tarraxinha? Is there a preference that you have? Well, I will say everything changes with time. When I was in Lisbon,

I was a Tarraxinha man, I would say. Tarraxinha It was my love. I moved to the UK, then I connected very much with Kizomba flavour. Along the way, when Kizomba was already worldwide and very mainstream, I started to love Semba so much.

At that time, people didn't think like, I can dance Semba in a way. Of course, you can throw some moves here and there. But dancing Semba for people to see, appreciate, I wasn't there at that time because I wasn't exploring that part of my dance so much. So when the love of Semba was starting to come, it was when one of the...

Africa dancer, more memorable Africa dancer in 2009 when the Angolan guy came from Angola to compete and he won the competition, which is Dilsun Kizomba, Dilsun and Bernadette. They did an amazing Semba show that everyone from that day, but I would say, in my opinion, because it's one of the guys who always look up.

to see, to inspire me also in a way that they changed the dance itself. Because when I came with that Semba show in Africa Dancer 2009, everything changed from there. And of course, the love of Semba started to grow so fast. And then when I moved to the UK and doing Kizomba and Tarraxinha, then I developed a little bit more Semba.

then my love for Semba was just big. And because it was so big, I would say Semba, it's what I love. But because Semba and Kizomba, it's there, similar. So I would say it is 50 -50 in a way. I would love to have a nice Kizomba flavour music, not those Kizomba that is very...

low energy, I would always have a lot of high energy in terms of Kizomba. And then of course, Semba, any Semba, it's just amazing. So for people to understand is the layer of each music that define the way you actually dance. OK. I'm going to ask you the question in a slightly different way.

No, because I understand what you were saying and that's great. But let me, I'm going to force you to, to, to, to, to, to, to preference. Let's say that. So I always like to ask the dinner question. So you like, you like to eat, you like, you like food, right? I like food. Right. Okay. So you're going out to a restaurant, imagine Kizomba in a restaurant. Okay. And you have Semba, Kizomba, let's say Tarraxinha, just those three. Yeah. Yeah. How would you organize the meal?

So what's going to be your starter, your main course, and your dessert? So I know. I would say because all of them has a different set up, I would say. If we go to the source, Semba, Semba can give you so many elements that it can be from the slow tempo, intro, or.

to the middle level in terms of energy and then to the high energy. Kizomba has a difference. The layer of Kizomba, it would start, we can say some of the Kizomba would start in a slow layer tempo and they go high and it's not going to go higher. So you will be there in the level. So the intro is the slow tempo. So...

And then it goes to the, to the ballet. So Semba, it will give you everything. Kizomba is not going, it can give you everything. Don't get me wrong because sometimes people say, no, Kizomba to me give me this, this. Yes. I'm just trying to explain in a way that musically you have a Semba that give you the same thing into intro, like a starter. It will give you a main dish and then it will give you a s***.

sweet dessert. So that means Semba is my favourite because it gives me everything in one. If I, if. What can I say to that? Yes. You're going to have a slow Semba that give you that feeling of, yes, yes. Warming up. You're going to have a middle Semba layer that can give you that movement. And then you're going to have a Semba that going to give you the

the need to do the Semba show, you know, playful and make everyone laugh, make everyone stop and then clapping. Amazing, Mr. Suave, amazing. So Semba is king. I love that answer. Yes, Semba is the key. And I would love to people to do more Semba. That's why I'm creating now Semba courses in London. So therefore people can start to love Semba more.

So we know Kizomba is already there. Nothing can change. It's famous. It's good. Everyone wants it. But I want people to love Semba as much as I do. And in that regard, so I'm creating these Semba courses. Now I'm going to have my own night, also Suave Nights London, where the preference of the night will be high level.

high intensity and energy, which is a lot of Semba, Kizomba, and also everything in between, because I will be bringing different DJs to play, so therefore they can bring a different flavour in terms of the music. But the main goal is to keep that Semba flavour as we have on Thursdays, Kizomba, lox and after work. Fantastic. Yeah. So...

Just before we kind of wrap up shortly, just please, so you've mentioned some of the stuff you're doing there. Anything else you want to tell anybody or tell us about the work that you're doing or projects that you have or where we can find you, all that kind of stuff? Well, yes, it's always a great opportunity to promote ourselves. Many times as a Kizomba instructor, we don't know how to promote ourselves as much.

And this is the opportunity because we could have, you know, sometimes make a video of ourselves and I'll be here, I'll be here, I'll be here. But we never do for some reason, I don't know. But this is opportunity. Of course, I will take it. And thank you. So the project is I will start my own night monthly party, which is called the Suave Nights.

Suave, it's all around. Even the party has to come back. And then I used to have a Kizomba Suave night. So now just make it as a monthly party in a regular based every last Friday of the month. And the project also is to bring different DJs every month. One of the DJs, I always going to have two, but one of the DJs from abroad.

just to give a different view of different music to our customers, our people. And time to time also I'm going to bring different teachers from abroad also to come and give my students and other dancers experience of a different teacher. Because in my view, I always believe that we have always to drink from different sources.

because that is the way actually we grow, is the way we improve as much. So therefore it's not only Rico, Rico, Rico or other teachers, but also experience something else because we learn from everyone every day. So that is the project. And then the big project is to bring the weekender under the Kizomba Suave Londonites umbrella. So...

Weekender, that way I can bring two instructors and one DJ to do a nice weekender. Smooth and no big, no small, but one where everyone can enjoy the weekend time to time, every two or three times a year. So that is the project. Of course, I still have the project of my festival in Sardinia.

We'll see if we can carry on because a lot of people are asking for that festival to come back. And that is the other project of the festival in my mind. And for those who don't know, the festival in Tenerife, I don't know if you heard about it, as in Borde, Tenerife festival, I am one of the organisers. A lot of people doesn't know. This is again, it's a...

part of the things that we don't promote. People went there and said, Rico, I didn't know you're part of the organisation. If we knew, we can bring more people here. I said, yes, I promoted. I said, you remember in every single post, in my posts from many years, I always put at the end of the post, Azembora. Azembora means let's go in English. So, but...

In Portuguese, it's not a clean Portuguese, it's like a slang. “Vamos embora”. We, as Angolans, they just make it as “embora”. Yeah. So therefore it's like a slang to say vamos “embora” or “let's go” in English. So I was always using that name. So therefore me and my friend in Tenerife, we create this weekender as ‘Embora Weekender’. Then it becomes...

Festival. So it's the same thing. I'm now creating Suave nights It will be Weekender and who knows when they will become a festival Hey, you heard it here and you heard it because I'm the conversations as well. All right Listen Rico, we could talk for a long time and I'm gonna be honest with you. Yeah, I've got two cards here We didn't get through half of one right so that means that

You're coming back, right? Well, it will be my pleasure to come back because actually it's almost 3 o 'clock and then we still have to dance. It's cool. We have to dance, right? So we've just confirmed he's coming back for part two where we're going to get into even more, right? It's over a long time. OK, but what I want to do say is, look, you know how happy I am to have you on the show. Thank you very much for taking the time to come and join us.

We really, really enjoyed it and we're going to be looking forward to bringing you back very, very soon so we can just learn more and find out more about you as well. Yeah. All right. So thank you, Mr. Suave. Thank you guys for having me here. And it was my pleasure. And it's always good to share the knowledge and the passion we have for this dance and in this culture is immense. And of course, the more we share.

the better for the community. Absolutely. So I also appreciate the work you're doing for the community. So therefore, we're pleased for your work. Carry on, keep going and bring more people. And so therefore they can share something also different. Absolutely. I definitely will. There's so many stories out there. Definitely. Sharing the joy of Kizomba to as many people as we can reach. That's the issue here. That's the vision.

for Kizomba Conversation. So we just want to say thank you to all of you who have tuned in. Please, please let us know what you think about the episode. Like, comment, subscribe. We are going to be signing out now. So we will hopefully see you on the dance floor. So remember, keep dancing, and we will see you soon. Peace.