Cape Verde

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’ family was one of those to emigrate because of economic hardships. They relocated to Senegal, where Maria was born. As a young girl, Maria fell in love with the music of Cesária Évora, the five-time Grammy-winning Cape Verdean "barefoot diva". Évora is Maria’s godmother & became her musical inspiration. Maria’s musical style therefore is the mainly morna. Morna is widely considered the national music of Cape Verde. Lyrics are usually in Cape Verdean Creole. The instruments usually include the cavaquinho, clarinet, accordion, violin, piano, & guitar. Morna is often compared to the blues as there are interesting similarities & significant cultural connections between Cape Verde & the US. However, Maria is not strictly a morna singer, as she has been hailed "Queen of the Coladeiras," a salsa-styled dance music of Cape Verde. Why else Dança Ma Mi?

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. 

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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    

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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.

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Tracklist –

Povoação Velha

Céu Azul
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