From: Portugal

DJ style: House

Best known for: “Mixing electronic music with Portuguese roots.”
 

KURA represents the perfect fusion of old and new worlds. His music often takes the emotional catharsis of traditional Portuguese music and juxtaposes it with sleek, hyper-modern sound design. Take his end of summer track, ‘Sentir Saudade’, made with vocalist Bia Caboz. The lyrics are yearning and elegant, filled with melancholy, while KURA lays down thick techno kick-drums and squiggly synth flourishes. “It opened a lot of new doors for me,” he says.

It's this sort of magic that keeps KURA in the Top 100 list year in and year out. The producer shows no sign of letting his foot off the gas either. He's turned out a number of singles over the last year, including collaborations with the likes of Wax Motif (not to mention a hinted at Tiësto remix). His touring schedule is equally busy as he continues to traverse the world's biggest stages. KURA seems to be having just as much fun as anyone else in the business. 

 

Hero of 2023: “Dinho.”
 

Fave tune of 2023: “Lesgo ‘Down To The Left’.” 

What was the most exciting tech development of 2023? “All the AI tools available to make music, it opened a lot of new possibilities.”

Rising star DJ/producer of 2023: “Giuseppe Ottaviani.”
 

What gives you hope for 2024? “New projects. Working with very talented musicians to make the most interest music I’ve ever made.”