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Outlook: The Great Escape of Bonga

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Bonga Kuenda (credit: Judith Burrows/Getty Images)

04/11/2018 GMT

The Great Escape of Bonga

BBC World Service - Outlook, The Great Escape of Bonga

Bonga Kuenda, the man who sang – and sprinted – for Angolan independence

The life and times of Bonga Kuenda, the man who sang – and sprinted – for Angolan independence.

Bonga Kuenda is one of Angola’s most notable musicians, a master of the semba - a genre of traditional Angolan music. He was born during Portuguese colonial rule, and before music, Bonga had forged a career in athletics. In the 1960s, he emerged from the shantytowns of Luanda to become the fastest sprinter in the Portuguese Empire, but he was racing for a regime that he despised, one he was secretly trying to bring down. 

Presenter: Harry Graham
Producer: Maryam Maruf

With thanks to Edward Drummond and Paul Bakibinga

Image: Bonga Kuenda
Credit: Judith Burrows/Getty Images

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