Musidanças 06 (2006)

A rare (and great) collection of lusophone music from Portugal, Brasil, Mozambique, Capo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Guinée-Bissau and Angola.

«A Sara Tavares um dia lançou-me o desafio. Porque não fazer uma compilação com a participação de artistas que actuariam no Festival Musidanças desse ano.
Desafio feito, desafio aceite e assim em 2006 surge este CD Musidanças, que mostra a música de alguns dos muitos projectos da música do mundo lusofono que proliferam aqui em Portugal.
Os artistas cederam uma música dos seus CDs do momento, o Cláudio Silva masterizou, a Elsa Escaja fez o design da capa do CD e foi editado pela Zoomusica (MML) etiqueta dedicada á música do mundo lusofono.» (Firmino Pascoal, Zoomusica)

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African Blues (World Music Network, 1998)

«Blues? That’s American Deep South stuff, right? Well, not only. The quest for “authenticity” in music has taken so many spurious turns in recent years that it has perhaps managed to overlook the overarching patterns. It’s these patterns that have made up the blues, that inimitable form of misery set to music that’s as vibrant today as ever. It has a long history – musicologists have traced the origins of blues from India to Arabia to Spain, through to Africa, the Caribbean and America’s southern states.

African Blues, a valuable and exhilarating record, contains 15 songs ranging from Egypt’s Hamza El Din to Cape Verde’s unsurpassable Cesaria Evora. The Stayin’ Home With the Blues series, meanwhile, features vintage recordings with American blues artists such as Freddie King, Big Bill Bronzy, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Memphis Slim.

Although blues has its origins elsewhere, it’s the American records, made mostly in the 1940s and 1950s, that sound spare and dour. It’s impossible to say the same of African musician Ismael Lo’s “Talibe” with its sweetly sad vocals and lilting rhythms, or the mesmerizing progression of Oumou Sangare’s “Saa Magni”. But listen more closely and the connections become clearer: there’s something of Otis Redding about Kante Manfila and Balla Kall’s “Kankan Blues” from Guinea, and there’s a distinct doo-wop groove in the oldest track on the disc, Zambian Alick Nhata’s “Maggie”.

Turn to Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Sad news from Korea” – a 1950s song which shows how well the old blues format adapts to accommodate new subjects – and we begin to hear the same kinds of empty spaces, quivering with expression, as in songs like “A Va Safy Va Lomo” from Mozambique’s Orchestra Marrabenta Star.

Blues has its sound roots in the music that the American slaves brought from Africa and its emotional roots in the experience of captivity. And African Blues is fascinating because it traces not only roots, but is made by musicians who have already been exposed to American Blues, especially in its soul and R’n’B incarnations.

But how authentic is that typical no-good-woman blues sentiment that the Stayin’ Home album has in abundance? Without knowing the languages it’s difficult to know whether misogyny prevails in African Blues. But it is intriguing to reflect on Cesaria Evora, the barefoot diva who slugs back whisky and smokes with the best of them, and who has by virtue of her Portuguese-language songs been enlisted into the ranks of fado – Portuguese blues – singers. Whatever the roots of blues, its routes through the world continue apace.» (New Internationalist)

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Tcheka - Nu Monda (2005)

«Following the recent eruption of great women singers from Cape Verde, along comes a new sound from a young man named Tcheka. Having penned the opening and closing tracks for Lura's acclaimed debut album, this summer he will tour with the great "barefoot diva" Cesaria Evora, who brought Cape Verde to the world on the waves of her soulful morna. While the world has heard the female voice emanating from the Cape Verdean islands, Tcheka, fed and nurtured by these women, brings a new perspective with his album, Nu Monda.

While alluding to the musical traditions of his native island of Santiago, Tcheka's sound is entirely unique to his personal style. As a young boy, he performed alongside his father, a popular violinist at the island's village dances and festivities. But it was the songs of the women that appealed to him. He was enchanted by the beat of batuque, a traditional style rich with collective memory and popular identity, originally developed by Santiago's women to get around the ban on drums by the Church and the Portuguese colonial authorities. Batuque was first played by women after work in the fields. Sitting in a circle, they tapped on a bundle of cloth, normally made of piled loincloths that they rolled up and held between their legs. The style is still played in Santiago today, though some aspects have been adapted. Young Tcheka heard these rhythms and dreamt of widening the appeal of batuque, turning it into a beat that everyone would love. And so he continued the trend that the women began by improvising and adapting tradition, taking the time-honored rhythms out of the fields and transposing them to guitar.

The island of Santiago is one of ten in the Cape Verdean archipelago, a former Portuguese colony midway between Portugal, Angola, and Brazil, not quite African nor European, but influenced by both. Too far apart for a convenient and safe boat ride and too expensive to fly between, islanders rarely travel from one island to another. This isolation gives each island its own unique musical style and blend of influences. Santiago is considered the "most African" of the islands, and a new, homegrown style is emerging in Tcheka's music – a different sound from the sweet sorrow of Evora's morna, which is related to Portuguese fado and Brazilian modinha.

"Nobody knows where Tcheka's style came from," says Paris-based Jose da Silva, who manages both Tcheka and Evora and has done much to bridge Cape Verdean music with the rest of the world. "His town has one bar and nobody there sounds like Tcheka. It is a mystery."» (Read more at RockPaperScissors)

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Putumayo Presents: Women of Africa (2004)

«While the African music scene is currently dominated largely by men, there has never been any stigma to speak of against women performing (with the possible exception of some of the North African Islamic nations). The catch is that women tended historically to spend less time playing instruments in favor of other portions of the rituals and work, and stayed primarily within the vocal field as a result. Putumayo is taking advantage of this to combine three of their favourite forms of compilation: African music, women's music, and vocal music. The range here covers essentially the whole of Africa, with representatives from each of the major areas. South African Judith Sephuma opens the album with a contemporary piece, followed by Benin's great Angélique Kidjo with something based on Brazilian idioms. Following the Portuguese influence a step further (or closer, as the case may be), Maria de Barros performs a bit of morna from Cape Verde before the album makes a return to South Africa with Sibongile Khumalo. A quick run to the east allows for a nice Malagasy work from Tarika, and a jump north to Cameroon precedes the third South African piece, this time a bit of classic jazz from Dorothy Masuka. Firmly moving away from the South African sphere of influence, a wonderful piece from the often-excluded Comoros is included, preceding Ivorian Dobet Gnahore with a chipper work. A beautiful ballad from Souad Massi's Island release takes up the North African end, followed by an acoustic guitar-based rhythm from Burundi's Khadja Nin. Closing the album is a bit of female isicathamiya, courtesy of the Women of Mambazo, led by Joseph Shabalala's wife prior to her murder. Overall, it's quite a good album, with nice coverage of the various regions and the use of some underexposed but noteworthy artists. The only possible complaint would be that it's a bit heavy on South African music.» (AMG)

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Lura - M'Bem di Fora (2006)

«Funana, batuku, and mazurka are Cape Verdean words – the names of traditional island rhythms. They don't exactly roll off the tongues of most English speakers, but Lura, whose ancestors are from the region, is an especially capable and captivating translator. The songs collected on M'Bem di Fora, the Portuguese singer's second North American disc, sound less like examples of a new exotic strain of music than a pot stirred with pinches of samba, flamenco, jazz, R&B, and conjunto; it's a pan-Latin sound that alternately makes you want to twirl seductively and shop for fresh tortillas. Lura's voice is also an accessible thing, throaty and warm and confident. According to the album notes, the songs tell stories of life on Cape Verde: "Bida Mariadu" is about the limitations of island living, "As-Água" explains the summer thirst for rain, and "Fitiço di Funana" explores the potency of a traditional sensual voodoo dance. You don't need a grip on the culture or its values, though, to fall in love with the music. Lura presents a range of moods and styles any listener could get lost in. She also lends them a singular depth that should keep world music fans awaiting her next dip into foreign climates.» (AMG)

«[…] Lura è esplosa sui palchi internazionali come l’unica vera erede della grande Cesaria Evora, nonostante tra le due artiste esistano differenze stilistiche notevoli. Nella musica di Lura il pop d’autore e il jazz si fondono con i ritmi dell’isola, il funana, un ballo tipico dell’isola di Santiago suonato con la fisarmonica e il ferrinho, uno strumento tipico di capo Verde. Cola sanjon invece è un ritmo suonato durante la festa di San Giovanni, nel mese di giugno; mentre la mazurka è una variante del celebre ballo portato nell’isola di Sant’Anton dai francesi. Un altro grande ritmo rielaborato da Lura è il batuque che tradizionalmente era suonato dalle lavandaie dell’isola di Santiago con una sorta di cuscino di panno, tchabeta che Lura porta sempre con sé in ogni esibizione.

M’bem di Fora, ovvero “Vengo da lontano”, è il nuovo album di Lura. Un disco provocante e sensuale, capace di fare sognare. […] I ritmi del batuque compaiono in “Galanton” mentre “M’bem di Fora” e “Fitiço di Fumana” sono etichettabili come fumana, e “Romaria” come cola sanjon. La mazurka è presente in “Mari d’Ascenson”, e “No Bem Fala” è invece una coladera. In “As-Agua” Lura racconta l’attesa della popolazione di Capo Verde del ritorno delle piogge - un evento particolarmente lieto per gli abitanti dell’isola. Mentre in “Ponciana” racconta la storia di una donna il cui futuro sembra compromesso, accompagnata da una suggestiva chitarra flamenco. La tradizionale melodia della gaita compare in “Festa di Nha Cumpadri”, una tipica melodia che accompagna le feste di villaggio. […]» (Lo sguardo di Ulisse)

For another fine album by Lura, check L’arbre de les 1000 musiques

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Maria de Barros - Nha Mundo (2003)

«Although she was born in nearby Senegal, Maria de Barros has made her musical home in Cape Verde, where she brings her warm, sensual voice and original creative vision to bear on the mornas and coladeiras of her adopted home and on the boleros and sambas that came to the islands from Brazil and the Caribbean. Those who are already familiar with the singing of Césaria Évora and Susana Baca will see similar influences at work here, but de Barros' gently compelling style is uniquely her own. Backed up by a mostly acoustic band of guitars, accordions, percussion, and what sounds like a Portuguese guitarra, de Barros weaves a complex tapestry of rhythms and melodies that varies from the reggae-flavored "Riberonzinha" to the bouncing Afro-Cuban hesitation-step of "Regresa," finally culminating in the album's emotional centerpiece, a simple, joyful, and stunningly beautiful song entitled "So Um Melodia." It is difficult to imagine anyone not being completely entranced by this sometimes bittersweet but ultimately joyous album. Very highly recommended.» (AMG)

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Putumayo Presents: Acoustic Africa (2006)

«While the market for African music is heavy with new forms of Afro-pop, synth-driven reggae, and piles of high-energy soukous, there is a movement afoot for music in the more restrained end of the spectrum. Acoustic Africa takes a stab at compiling some of the newer sounds of this movement, à la MTV Unplugged. There are a few names on the album with massive recognition value: Angélique Kidjo presents a song to be released on a future album of her own, Habib Koité has his old hit "Baro," and Djelimady Tounkara (from the Super Rail Band, among others) contributes a recent piece for the guitar. Moving away from West Africa, South Africa's old master Vusi Mahlasela contributes a nice work for the guitar as well. Aside from these better-known artists, though, the real joy of this album comes from the unheard of, or at least less heard of. Senegal's Diogal has a gentle touch on the guitar, as does Madagascar's Rajery on the valiha (with a mangled hand and a technical style similar to Django Reinhardt's old playing technique). While Lokua Kanza has had a bit of fame outside of the Congo, Faya Tess is somewhat less known outside of Africa – on this album they combine for an uncharacteristically (for her, at least) somber piece. Laye Sow's gentle approach to protest music and a pair of works from the Cape Verdean repertoire fill out a relatively diverse set quite well. While North and East Africa, and indeed most of the central and southern portions, are underrepresented, the album covers the acoustic movement well, and touches upon the acoustic tips of more electronically based styles as well. The music is top-notch without exception, and the performers make a nice grab bag of exploration for the intrepid listener.» (AMG)

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Cesaria Evora - Cafè Atlantico (1999)

Un disco semplicemente meraviglioso della regina della Morna e della Coladera capoverdina.

«Un viaggio nel cuore della musica, della melodia, dei sentimenti del mondo: il “Cafè Atlantico” di Cesaria Evora è un locale in cui s’incontrano le correnti del cuore, dove è possibile star seduti a guardare il mondo che passa, ad ascoltare storie raccontate da vecchi esploratori e lupi di mare, storie d’amore e di vita che ognuno può far proprie con semplicità. Chi ha amato i dischi precedenti di Cesaria Evora non può mancare questo nuovo disco, chi non conosce ancora l’artista capoverdina deve provare ad ascoltarla in questo piccolo grande gioiello. Non è "world music" ma grande canzone, vicina al cuore del mondo, cantata da un artista a dir poco straordinaria.» (Ernesto Assante, Repubblica)

With every album released and every international concert tour, Cesaria Evora has become one of the major discoveries of the 90’s. Thanks to La Diva aux pieds nus (the barefoot diva), Morna, an ocean-going form of the blues sung in Capeverdean Creole, and its more joyful companion Coladera are forever etched on the map of popular music that emerged at the turn of the century. They join Fado from Portugal, Samba from Brazil, Tango from Argentina and the Cuban Son. Cesaria has dedicated her album Café Atlantico (the seventh, released in 1999), to her birthplace Mindelo, a port on the island of São Vicente. «The safest port-of-call between Gibraltar and the Cape of Good Hope» was developed at the end of the last century for maritime trade linking Europe, Africa and America. It was recorded with Bau (guitars, cavaquinho and arrangements) and her regular musicians. Café Atlantico adds some new gems to the inexhaustible repertoire of songs composed by Cesaria’s favourite songwriters: Manuel de Novas, Teofilo Chantre, Pedro Rodrigues, B. Leza, Ti Goy, joined by Gerard Mendes and Daniel Spencer for the first time. This album, produced in Paris and Havana, marks a new departure with the inclusion of Cuban musicians and the collaboration of Brazilian cellist-arranger Jacques Morelenbaum, whose film music (Central do Brazil) and work with Caetano Veloso have made their mark. Brazil, a little bit of Africa in the New World, and Cape Verde, are brother countries.
Cuba, is the sister island whose rhythms have the whole world’s feet tapping. Cesaria knows many Brazilian songs from the 40’ and 50’. Her repertoire has always included Spanish standards, like Besame Mucho and Maria Elena from the days when she sang in bars. Certain nuances that have always been perceptible in Capeverdean music and so cherished by Cesaria, are gently accentuated in Café Atlantico. Morna, the Portuguese Fado and the Brazilian Samba that travelled across the Atlantic, back in the days of the slavery trade, share a common chord. In the Brazilian plantations its original Angolan roots were blended with the drawing-room music of their Portuguese masters.
The Cape Verde archipelago endured five centuries of Portuguese colonisation until its independence in 1975, the dust of the islands battered by the Atlantic Ocean waves, were laid to waste by the drought. Its musical and lyrical identity were forged through the straits of exile: it was its inhabitants’ only means of escaping the rigours of an unproductive land. Mindelo, its wharves and bars, scene of dockers and sailors toiling away, the heart-rending separations and the joy of reunions was where soulful Morna and the more buoyant, upbeat Coladera originated.
The yearning for a better life in far-off countries, projected attachment to their native land, nostalgic for dear ones, the sodade, inspired the poets. Composers on the other hand absorbed the influences brought over by passing seamen from Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, and the Caribbean... Harbour activity in the Mindelo of our times is a shadow of what it used to be, but the Morna unites the Capeverdean Diaspora scattered across the globe in Portugal, Holland, and the United States. The memory that is representative of the collective destiny of the Capeverdean people is embedded in the Mornas and coladeras, old and new. Café Atlantico revives Mindelo’s past splendour, when hundreds of boats filled the port and thus filled the bars with sailors and musicians... It was a time of prosperity, transoceanic exchanges and musical influences threshed from one side of the Atlantic to the other that saw the birth of Capeverdean music and the rise of Morna. (Lusafrica)

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