"Lusophone" is a descriptor used to define communities, nations, and cultures that share a common link through the Portuguese language. Those include Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea−Bissau, East Timor, and São Tome and Principe. The history that links Lusophone countries is primarily rooted in their shared colonial past, as many of them were once part of the Portuguese Empire. Despite geographical distances and diverse cultural backgrounds, the shared linguistic heritage of Portuguese−speaking communities remains a strong unifying force, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation among Lusophone countries. The Portuguese language is a channel for exchanging literature, music and art.
Source: Miroca Paris
Did you know? 20 Years ago Cesária Évora was the 1st to win a Grammy for Cape Verde & West− Africa. Voz D'Amor (Voice of Love) won Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2004! Miroca Paris was honored to have recorded and performed with Cesária Évora for over a decade, including this album. Cesária Évora is well−known for the famous song "sodade". In 2019 this type of music, Morna, has been officially recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. (source: https://www.facebook.com/Miroca.Paris; date:6/2/2024)
Barefoot Diva & best−known performer of "morna"
Cesária Évora, who passed away on December 17, 2011, was an internationally acclaimed singer, specializing in morna and coladeira genres.Evora's international fame came late in life. ...Her 1988 album "La Diva Aux Pieds Nus" (Barefoot Diva), recorded in France where she first found popularity, launched her international career. Her 1995 album "Cesaria" was released in more than a dozen countries and brought her first Grammy nomination, leading to a tour of major concert halls around the world and album sales in the millions.She won a Grammy in the World Music category of the 2004 awards for her album "Voz D'Amor".
Cape Verdean singer and multi−instrumentalist
Cape Verdean singer and multi−instrumentalist Miroca Paris performed with Cesária Évora for a decade. He recorded a Grammy winning album, toured with Madonna during the Madame X tour ... and now is flourishing on stage with his own music. He also collaborated with other artists such as Sara Tavares, fadista Cuca Roseta, Dino D'Santiago, Nancy Veira, his uncle Tito Paris and many many others. In 1994 Sara Tavares and Miroca Paris represented Portugal during the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2017 he released his debut album D'alma and since then he has been touring with his band and working on new music. NEWS: Miroca Paris will release his new single on February 21, 2024. Check out his socials for more details!(Source: mirocaparis.com)
Cape Verdean singer, guitarist and composer.
At the age of nineteen, he went to live in Lisbon, at the request of Bana, another sounding name for the music of Cape Verde, who wanted him to play in his musical group "Voz de Cabo Verde" where ... he did play for four years. After that he began to pursue a career in his own name.He collaborated with Cesária Évora as a composer for her LP titled "Cesária." He released and produced his first album in 1987, an instrumental work that highlights his virtuosity as a guitarist. Tito Paris is recognized for his contributions to Cape Verdean music, particularly in genres like morna and coladeira.
Cape Verdean singer who lives and records in Lisbon, Portugal.
Mayra Andrade, often called the new Cesária Évora, revisits traditional Cape Verdean music by adding a modern touch. Her music is an international affair. The Cape Verdean singer was born in Cuba, ...raised in Cape Verde, and later lived in Senegal, Angola, Germany and France. Her songs use all those influences, as well as hints to Brazilian sounds and reggae, and mixes them with jazz and Western pop, to create an exotic trip around the world.
Afro−Portuguese singer, composer, guitarist and percussionist
Sara Tavares was a singer−songwriter, who sadly passed away on November 19, 2023, and who combined Cape Verdean and Portuguese musical elements, contributing to the global music scene. ...
Sara Tavares was second−generation Portuguese of Cape Verdean descent who composed African−, Portuguese− and North American−influenced world music.
Sara had her worldwide breakthrough in 2006 with the beautiful album "Balancê." Before that she released the gospel CD "Sara Tavares and Shout" (1996) and "Mi Ma Bô" (1999) and in 1994 she represented Portugal during the Eurovision song contest. After the release of her albums "Alive in Lisboa" (2008) and "Xinti" (2009), she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and could no longer perform but in 2018 she returned with the album "Fitxadu."
She collaborated with fado singer Ana Moura, with Boy Gé Mendes and Lokua Kanza. In an interview in 2009, she said this about her music: "I listened to a lot of American soul and R&B and at the same time discovered African music. Lokua Kanza and Boy Gé Mendes taught me a lot about African music. My first album "Mi Ma Bô" was in style between R&B and African music."
On "Balancê" she combined the melancholy of the Cape Verdean morna and the cheerful coladeira with afrobeat, the Angolan semba and reggae. She also interpreted some traditional Cape Verdean rhythms in her own way and combined them with reggae and jazz on "Xinti." This is what she said about creating a song of hers. "I usually start improvising on the guitar and then the words come. I combine them into a poem, then I further develop the melody."
She also said that the pulse of her music is Creole. By the term she meant that her music encompasses everything from the Portuguese-speaking world: from Cabo Verde, Portugal, Brazil, Angola and Mozambique. She did not call her music Cape Verdean but Afro−Portuguese, because her music originated in multicultural Lisbon where she was born of Cape Verdean parents: her mother comes from the island of Santo Antão, her father from the island of Santiago. During an interview in 2018, she said: "I get the chords in my songs from traditional styles such as the morna and coladeira. One of my songs on the album "Fitxadu" is based on coladeira but the sound is more urban, more city. I live in the city and in Europe. The traditional funaná is played with an accordion and ferrinho, an iron rod. But in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde on Santiago, it is now played with electric guitar and drums."
During that interview she also said that she still loves American gospel, soul and R&B, the music of Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. And of course also the songs of Cesária Évora. "She interpreted a song in a wonderful way." But Sara Tavares also did that in her own way.
A great Cape Verdean singer passed away with her.(source:writteninmusic.com)
Portuguese singer and musician, of Cape Verdean descent.
Lura's compositions are based on traditional Cape−Verdean music such as Morna, Funaná and Batuque, and are influenced by African and contemporary Western music.... NEWS: Lura just announced that she will be touring Germany in March 2024 (21/3 Berlin, 22/3 Munich, 23/3 Hannover and 24/3 Bonn). Check out her socials for more details!
Cape Verdean Singer and Songwriter
Born in the Algarve in Portugal, Dino d'Santiago is the son of Cape Verdean parents and played a key role in the globalization of urban music movements. Dino d'Santiago is well-known for ... his contributions to the music scene, particularly in genres like Funaná and batuque. He is recognized for his contemporary approach to Cape Verdean music,blending traditional sounds of Batuque and Funaná with modern elements of soul and hip−hop. During his career he got many awards such as "Best Male Artist, Best Album with Kriola and the Critics' Award" in 2020. In 2021 he released his fourth album "Badiu" and he continues to bring the Cape Verdean music to the world during his live performances. While living in Lisbon, Madonna met Dino d'Santiago, who introduced her to many local musicians playing fado, morna, and samba music. They regularly invited her to their "living room sessions" which which were a big inspiration for her and resulted in the Madame X album and later world tour. He also played an important role in the well-known television program "The Voice Portugal (RTP)", where he acted as a mentor for the participants.
Cape Verdean Musician, Singer & Composer (1/11/1967−1/3/2001)
Orlando Pantera has been recognized for his involvement in preserving and popularizing the traditional Cape Verdean music genre called ... Funaná. Funaná is a lively and upbeat style of music that has its roots in the rural areas of Cape Verde. Orlando Pantera is recognized for his contribution to preserving and popularizing Funaná. He was also a devoted teacher for the children of his island. He elevated the genre of batuque, originally played and sang by women, on the guitar and added his own authenticity and jazzyness touch to it, talking about the daily life and struggles of the men and women of the fields. Three of his songs were recorded on the album "Porton d'nôs Ilha" of the group "Os Tubarões". He was the author of a series of compositions that earned him the nomination as Composer of the Year in 1993. When he was about to record his first single "Lapidu na Bô" he suddenly died due to acute pancreatitis. But his daughter Darlene Barreto still keeps his legacy alive and Mayra Andrade did recover some of his songs.
Cape Verdean Musician and Business Woman
Darlene Pantera, daughter of the late Orlando Pantera, is the founder and president of "Fundação Orlando Pantera," a non−governmental organization that preserves and promotes the life ... and work of her father and an icon in Cape Verde music and culture.Through the Foundation Darlene wants to share her father's legacy and to use her knowledge as a musician and social educator to develop projects that use art and music as tools for social education. In this way she aims to contribute to the dissemination, promotion and appreciation of the Cape Verdean culture and identity, also contributing to the social inclusion of disadvantaged young people and children. The Foundation wants to contribute to a more supportive, inclusive and humane society.Darlene participated also in the Madame X Tour with Madonna in 2019, where she led a group of 14 women or Batukadeiras. In 2021, honoring her father, she started a project together with Helder Cardoso, making t−shirts, hoodies and bags with images of Orlando Pantera and some of his impactful phrases. Those were sold in Pop Up stores and also in the Cultural Center of Cape Verde in Lisbon.
These artists have played a crucial role in showcasing Cape Verdean music to a broader audience and have left a lasting impact on the global music scene.