João Barbosa, commonly known as Branko, is a Portuguese DJ and producer who first became known as part of the
Buraka som Sistema
Buraka Som Sistema was an electronic dance music project from Portugal, specializing in a fusion of techno beats with the African zouk and kuduro genre. It is generally credited with creating the "zouk bass" and "progressive kuduro" variant and ...
.
Career
His debut album as Branko, ''Atlas'', was released in 2015 — inspired by his travels around Cape Town, New York, Amsterdam and São Paulo — and featured collaborations with Princess Nokia and DJ Sliink and with Rodes Rollins on the track "Out Of Sight (So Right)".
Branko’s popular track ''‘Let Me Go’'' featuring Mr. Carmack & Nonku Phiri, gained traction on sites such as '' i-D'', ''Hypebeast'' and ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
''.
He has worked with artists like Santigold and Anik Khan, as well as M.I.A., with whom he worked on her 2016 album '' AIM''.
Branko also oversees a monthly radio show on NTS, ''Enchufada Na Zona'', which is broadcast live from the label's headquarters in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, and formed the inspiration for a compilation of the same name.
He performed as one of the interval acts, along with
Sara Tavares
Sara Alexandra Lima Tavares (born 1 February 1978) is a Portugal, Portuguese singer, composer, guitarist and percussionist. She was born and brought up in Lisbon, Portugal, where she still lives. Second-generation Portuguese of Cape Verdean d ...
Eurovision Song Contest 2018
The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Lisbon, Portugal, following the country's victory at the with the song " Amar pelos dois" by Salvador Sobral. Organised by the European Broa ...
, which was held in Lisbon.
Branko's second solo album 'Nosso' was announced on 22 Jan 2019 by Rolling Stone Magazine. It features collaborations with Sango, Cosima,
Mallu Magalhães
Maria Luiza de Arruda Botelho Pereira de Magalhães (born August 29, 1992), known as Mallu Magalhães (), is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and musician. Mallu first came to prominence through her MySpace page, becoming known for her own songs a ...
, Dino d'Santiago, Catalina García of
Monsieur Periné
Monsieur Periné is a Bogotá-based musical ensemble from Colombia with an Afro-Colombian sound that mixes Latin and European flavors. Lead singer Catalina García sings in a mixture of Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese. Other members i ...
,
Pierre Kwenders
Pierre Kwenders is the stage name of José Louis Modabi ''
Buraka som Sistema
Buraka Som Sistema was an electronic dance music project from Portugal, specializing in a fusion of techno beats with the African zouk and kuduro genre. It is generally credited with creating the "zouk bass" and "progressive kuduro" variant and ...
*
AIM (album)
''AIM'' is the fifth studio album by English rapper and record producer M.I.A. It was released on 9 September 2016 by Interscope and Polydor Records in the UK.
Prior to its release, the rapper claimed that it would be her final album. M.I.A. ...