"In the 8th edition of the initiative, "semba" was the word chosen by Plural Editores. The musical and dance genre that became popular in the 1950s has its etymological origins in Kimbundu", informed Plural Editores, the promoter of the initiative, in a statement sent to VerAngola.
According to the note, last year, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism recognized this symbol of national culture as National Intangible Cultural Heritage, "a factor that motivated the choice of this word".
However, even before it became official, this musical and dance genre "was already a source of national pride, with several musical tributes from great artists, such as Paulo Flores", the statement also states.
"Semba" thus joins the words "Cuiar", "Zungueira", "Pandemia", "IVA", "Hope", "Exoneration" and "Crisis", elected in 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
This initiative aims to "underline the lexical richness and creative dynamism of the Portuguese language, a living and precious heritage of all who express themselves in it, thus accentuating the importance of words and their meanings in the individual and social production of the meanings with which we interpreting and constructing one's own life".
