Emílio Camilo da Costa (born 5 January 1974), known professionally as Don Kikas, is an Angolan singer from the city of
Sumbe in the southern Angolan province of
Cuanza Sul.
Early life
In his early days as a child his parents moved to Brazil where he started to take a liking to music and dreaming of becoming a singer. At the age of 8, he was assisted by his mother in writing his first song. He would attend a few singing contests and as he walked out victorious, his passion for singing grew.
Musical career
He began singing at local nightclubs and discothèques in Portugal at the age of 18 until in 1994 he was invited to record his debut album, ''Sexy Baby'', which was released in 1995. In 1997, Kikas released his second album, ''Pura Sedução'' which was silver in Portugal. That same year, "Esperança Moribunda" received the "Music of the Year" award granted by the
Rádio Nacional de Angola
Rádio Nacional de Angola is a national radio station in Angola. It is based in the capital of Luanda. The station broadcasts in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, and major local languages and is operated by the Government of Angola
The Cab ...
(national radio station). By this time, invitations were extended for Kikas to perform at international level. His third album, ''Xeque Mate'', released in December 1999, produced a totally renewed Kikas as it included songs recorded in three different countries and featured foreign musicians as well. ''Xeque Mate'' achieved gold sales and received Angola's album of the year, voice of the year and kizomba of the year awards. Kikas released ''Raio X'' in October 2003, which failed to enjoy the commercial success of the previous releases but still managed to steer him into virgin markets.
2005 saw Kikas in a new career phase as he managed to round up high-profile musicians to record ''
Viagem'', a double-album in that presents a diverse range of styles from
kizomba
Kizomba is a dance and musical genre that originated in Angola in 1984.
Kizomba means "party" in Kimbundu, a Bantu language spoken by the Ambundu in Angola.
Origin and evolution
Music genre
The origins of kizomba can be traced to late-1970 ...
and
zouk
Zouk is a musical movement pioneered by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the early 1980s. It was originally characterized by a fast tempo (120–145 bpm), a percussion-driven rhythm and a loud horn section. The fast zouk béton of Martini ...
to the more traditional
kazukuta and
kilapanga and features singers such as
Cape Verde's
Tito Paris and
Johnny Ramos as well as countryfellows
Bonga and
Deusa.
In 2011 he was described as the most popular Angolan kizomba musician.
[Arenas, Fernando (2011) ''Lusophone Africa: Beyond Independence'', University of Minnesota Press, , p. 66]
Discography
Albums
* ''Sexy Baby'' (1995)
* ''Pura Sedução'' (1997)
* ''Xeque Mate'' (1999)
* ''Raio X'' (2003)
* ''Viagem'' (2006)
* ''Regresso a Base'' (2011)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kikas, Don
Angolan expatriates in Brazil
Angolan expatriates in Portugal
21st-century Angolan male singers
People from Cuanza Sul Province
Living people
1974 births
20th-century Angolan male singers