When memory becomes music: a meeting of cultures at Casa das Artes

At the invitation of the Embassy of Spain in Angola, hoteisangola.com attended a concert that brought together the Cokwe musical tradition and a string orchestra, in an experience that exceeded our expectations.
On 27 September 2026, Casa das Artes in Luanda hosted a musical encounter that left us with a deep admiration for the research, preservation and creative work behind it.
hoteisangola.com had the pleasure of attending, at the invitation of the Embassy of Spain in Angola, an initiative in which music became a meeting point for cultures and memories from different eras.
The coming together of the string orchestra and traditional Cokwe music was one of the aspects that impressed us most.
Different instruments, musical languages and forms of expression found room for dialogue, breathing new life into a heritage that deserves to be known, shared and passed on.

A meeting of tradition and musical creativity

Leading this work is Spanish composer and ethnomusicologist David López Sáez, who is responsible for a project to create arrangements of Angolan music for classical orchestra, developed with the support of the Embassy of Spain.
The initiative seeks to support training in musical composition in Angola while celebrating the country's culture, identity and diversity.
The event also featured the Thambwé School of Traditional Music, founded by David López in Dundo, Lunda Norte, and dedicated to Cokwe musical heritage.
Its participation connected the project with the traditions of northeastern Angola through music, traditional instruments and dance.

Recordings from the past that inspire new memories

One of the most striking aspects lies in the origins of the work presented: Cokwe music recorded in the 1950s, recovered through David López's research and used as the starting point for new arrangements.
This process creates a link across time.
A recording made several decades ago can be heard, studied and performed again, inspiring new creations and reaching new audiences.
It was precisely this connection between recording, preserving and creating new memories that moved us most.
Music that someone took the care to document in the past found, in this concert, a new opportunity to be shared.
And as it reached those in the audience, it also became part of their own memories.

Discovering Angola also means listening to its culture

For hoteisangola.com, experiences like this help showcase Angola's richness through its cultural expressions.
Getting to know a country also means listening to its sounds, understanding its traditions and recognising the people who dedicate themselves to keeping that heritage alive.
Culture therefore plays an essential role in how we present Angola and invite others to discover it.
This concert also prompted us to reflect on the importance of recording and documentation.
What is documented today can become a source of knowledge, learning and inspiration tomorrow.
Preserving a piece of music, an instrument or a form of dance gives future generations the opportunity to discover that heritage and build their own relationship with it.

Our thanks for a memorable experience

Our thanks go to the Embassy of Spain in Angola for the invitation, to David López Sáez for his research and creative work, to the Thambwé School of Traditional Music, to the orchestra's musicians and to Casa das Artes for making this encounter possible.
We left delighted and convinced that initiatives of this kind deserve wider recognition, both for the quality of the experience and for the way they bring people together, celebrate Angolan identity and keep memory alive as a continuing source of inspiration.