Cape Verde is an island country, an archipelago
of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 350 miles off the coast of
Western Africa. The uninhabited islands were
discovered & colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Cape Verde
became important in the colonialist Atlantic slave trade because of their
location along slaver’s shipping routes. The islands' prosperity often
attracted pirates & privateers (officially licensed pirates) such as Sir Francis
Drake, a privateer under the authority of the English Crown. Drake twice sacked
the then capital of Ribeira Grande in the 1580s.
With few natural resources, & without a strong financial
commitment from the Portuguese, the citizens grew increasingly discontented
with their colonial masters. The Portuguese however refused to grant the locals
more autonomy. A budding independence movement culminated in 1975 with the Cape Verdean
people achieving independence for the archipelago. Tough economic times during
the last decades of its colonization & the first years of Cape Verde's independence led many to Cape Verdeans
to emigrate to Europe, the Americas
& other African countries. This emigration was so significant that the
number of Cape Verdeans
& their families living abroad currently exceeds the population of Cape Verde
itself.
Maria de Barros' music transcends our personal taste,
preference, or even language. It travels through countries dense with local culture,
picking up pieces of each along the way. It combines distinct inflections of
Africa, Brazil, the
Caribbean, France, Portugal, & Spain
into the predominate traditions & culture of Cape Verde. Her voice has much the
same richness & maturity as a contemporary Cape Verdean Ella Fitzgerald.
Maria invites you into her heart with the warmth of a close friend. Her music defines a much-needed optimism in the face of suffering & hardship in Africa.
On Dança Ma Mi, the myriad cast is, to some extent:
Maria de Barros – lead vocalist; Danny Luchansky – guitar & keyboards;
Ramon Stagnaro – guitar; Grecco Buratto – guitar; Mitchell Long – guitar; Dicki Tavares – guitar; Zerui Depina –
cavaquinho; Djim Job – bass & backing vocals; Carlos "Kalú"
Monteiro – drums & backing vocals; Timothy S. Mayer – clarinet &
soprano saxophone; Bill Brendle – accordion; Philippe Luchansky – cello; Manuel
Pires – gaita; Cassio Duarte – percussion; Ron Kalina – harmonica; & Sandy Silva, Norberto Tavares, &
Jack Pina – backing vocals.
Maria de Barros - Dança Ma Mi (Dance with Me), Narada
72435-78277-2-0, 2005.
decryption code in comments
Tracklist –
Amor Luz
Oh Menel
Bo Ke Nha Boy
Espaço Infinito
Tambem J'Dame
Caresse Moi
Pazinho Laxa
Um Tem Um Amor
Nos Tradiçon
Rosinha
Sol Di Manha
Onmai
Bau, born Rufino Almeida in1962, is a native of Sao Vicente, one of the many islands of the Cape Verde
(Cabo Verde) archipelago.
Bau’s father made stringed instruments in Mindelo. For Bau’s seventh birthday, his
father gave him his first instrument. That was a cavaquinho, which is a small
four-stringed guitar, similar to a ukulele, used in Brazilian & Cape Verdean
music to help mark the beat. Bau’s father taught him how to make guitars,
cavaquinhos, & violins. He also taught him how to play them.
Bau became an avid fan of such musicians as Al Di Meola, Stephane
Grappelli, Jean-Luc Ponty & Didier Lockwood, Combining his native music
with what he heard from is favorite artists, Bau continued honing his musical
skills, combining instrumental virtuosity with a self-taught & instinctive
sensitivity. He plays the cavaquinho, acoustic or electric six &
twelve-string guitar, & violin.
In the early 90s he formded the Mindel Band. In 1994, Bau joined the back-up band
that accompanied world-renowned Cesária Évora on stage. Because of his
virtuosity in music, he became her director of music in 1996, serving in that
capacity until 1999. That year he returned home to Mindelo in Cape Verde to
follow his solo career & to discover himself, as the saying goes. Listen to
one of his records. You will most certainly fall under his magickal spell.
Bau – Silencio, Lusafrica 023122, 2003.
decryption code in comments
Tracklist –
Povoação Velha
Céu Azul
Café Music
Ave Maria
Silêncio
Nha Piedade
Maguoede
Estronhe e Criolo
Brasileirinho (excerpt)
Dor Di Nha Dor
Café Music
Ave Maria
Silêncio
Nha Piedade
Maguoede
Estronhe e Criolo
Brasileirinho (excerpt)
Dor Di Nha Dor
Enjoy the islands, its gonna get hot from here,
NØ
Maria de Barros
ReplyDeleteP18yqwEGB40OYUau5ledCzCP2nAClzJZL81Yiey7sWc
Bau
asFfJEKYWWhngI_5P3SHpGr95ZIM4CCwHUAznVgT_VE
Outstanding theme you got there, Nathan! Am listening to Maria de Barros at the moment. Thanks for the trip, great work and well done!
ReplyDeleteDD
DD,
DeleteThanks, my friend. It's been a bit more of an undertaking than I imagined. When we first thought of this a few years back, there were five+ people involved. Since then, it somehow shrank to Ø. Nonetheless, I am trudging onward. I don't know how long I can keep up this pace, but I figured if I wanted to get through the entire world in any reasonable time, I better hit it hard & fast. Hope you stop by often & find more that you enjoy. Thanks again.
It's a monumental undertaking, it is, and Nathan is the Hercules for the job.
ReplyDeleteMost impressive and muchly appreciated.
Ah, shucks.
ReplyDelete