CLEIDO
Cleido Kussumua is a proudly African, London-based Afro-House DJ, hailing from Angola. With his deep desire to champion the sounds of African dance music, fuses together an eclectic mix of African beats with deep house, downtempo and techno to cater to audiences with diverse musical tastes.
Cleido describes the trending shift to Afro-Beats, Afro-House, and their related subgenres as an “inevitable occurrence”. Every day as listeners become more aware and receptive to the sounds of Africa, the London-based DJ doesn’t just want to spectate but instead plays an active part in propelling the African musical culture forward within Europe.
Coming from a musically fuelled background, where he was introduced to African Disco music by his father at very young age, it comes as no surprise that the young, London-based DJ, saw no better way to represent where he comes from than through the diverse styles of music from his motherland. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Afro-House legends: DJ Black Coffee, Themba and Sef Kombo and following their careers closely, Cleido has seen, first-hand the importance of representing parts of one’s culture throughout the African diaspora and foreign lands.
Through each vibrant set delivered by Cleido, the crowd is exposed to a number of unique sounds from a variety of regions in Africa, with not one region taking precedence over another. The London-based DJ revels not only in the fusion of sounds from different areas on the continent but also in introducing his crowds to new, atypical sounds, keeping them on their feet well into the night. At just 22 years old, Cleido is not your average DJ.
Not only is he well-versed in the craft of visual arts, but he also has a bachelor’s degree in Economics under his belt. In addition to this, Cleido manages the upcoming, London-based artist Deano Died, whilst simultaneously pursuing a master’s degree in Marketing and Innovation at City, University of London.