Ricardo Lemvo


Ricardo Lemvo is a singer of Angolan descent who lives in Los Angeles, California. His music is a blend of African soukous, kizomba, samba and Cuban salsa.

Biography

Lemvo grew up in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where he first encountered and enjoyed Cuban music. He moved to the United States at age 15 to continue his education. He graduated from Lawndale High School and later from California State University, Los Angeles with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. His family is from M'banza-Kongo in northern Angola. His grandfather, João Mantantu Dundulu N'lemvo, was a Baptist pastor who worked with British missionaries in the 1880s. He was also the first Angolan to translate the English Bible into Kikongo.
Lemvo has a daughter, Isabela, whose name is the title of one of his songs and the title of the band's 2007 album.

Career

In 1990, though he does not read music or play any instrument, Lemvo formed the band Makina Loca, and with them he has become "one of the most creative and successful salsa bandleaders" in Southern California. Critic Robert Christgau described Lemvo's appeal, saying, "In five different non-English languages he invites cousin after cousin into the extended family--from boogaloo to rumba, bolero to son--and defines the groove they share with his own contained dynamics."
Lemvo and Makina Loca appeared in the 1998 movie Dance With Me starring Vanessa Williams and Chayanne. At the 2015 Angola Music Awards Lemvo won Music D'Ouro for the song "Curtição ".
Lemvo was on the 2018 schedule for summer concerts at LACMA, in a series made possible with support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Discography