Cape Verde is a set of islands 300 miles west of the African continent, unhabited until it was colonized by the Portuguese as part of their explorations in the fifteenth century. Like other islands (Ireland, for example) there are more islanders living in diaspora than on the islands themselves, with half a million Cape Verdeans in the USA alone, many of them settling, with other Portuguese, in maritime communities in Massachusetts. Cape Verde was part of Portugal until gaining its independence in 1975.

Culturally, ethnically, and linguistically Cape Verde (Cabo Verde in Portuguese) is mixed, with the population’s roots stemming from Portugal (including Sephardim fleeing persecution on the continent) and Africa, as well as other European countries. The official language is Portuguese, but a creole is commonly spoken, which adopts vocabulary from Portuguese, but uses it in a non-Portuguese syntax.

            Music from Cape Verde is a rich brew of these elements, and gained widespread popularity with the recordings of Cesaria Evora. Lura is a Cape Verdean from Lisbon, and M’bem di fora (2006) is a simply beautiful album, with a direct and open acoustic sound supporting Lura’s vocals, sung in Creole. If you already know Brazilian music, the music you hear on this disc shows a family resemblance, combining the lyrical and melancholic elements of Portuguese music (with its Moorish influences), with African suppleness in its cross-rhythms. And the liner includes complete texts with English translations.

            You will want to listen to this CD over and over again. Don’t miss it.

CD-14130

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