Music of the Cape Verdean Islands

Cape Verde is an island archipelago located a few hundred miles off of the cost of Senegal.  Also known as Cabo Verde, the island is starting to get some attention, especially in parts of Europe, as a peaceful tourist location.  The music of this land is pretty unknown to much of the world, accept for those areas where there are large numbers of Cape Verdeans, such as the Northern United States, Netherlands, France, Senegal as well as Italy.

Many know of Cape Verde’s most famous singer, Cesaria Evora and her introduction of the country’s beloved music, Morna, to the rest of the world. There are a few other music forms from Cabo Verde that may be of interest to those wanting to broaden their musical horizons…

Morna is a national song style, sung in the Cape Verdean crioule, that tends to be varied in terms of lyrical subject matter. Here is an example of Cesaria Evora singing a typical Morna…

Funana is an accordion based musical genre that had its start on the island of Santiago Cape Verde.  This genre has recently been merged with that of Coladeira to form a musical form known as funacola.  Below is some Cape Verdean funana for your listening pleasure..

Batuko or Batuque music is a woman’s folk music popularized in Santiago Cape Verde. I talked about it and how similar it is to Samba de Roda of Bahia Brazil.  Here is another link to some interesting Batuko music and dance…

 

 

 

 

Cape Verdean Batuko and Brazil’s Samba de Roda

I can’t help but see the similarity between Cape Verde’s Batuko dance and my beloved Samba de Roda, a form of Samba coming out of Brazil’s African heart, in Bahia.

Batuko is one of the oldest dance and drum genres of the island chain, originating on the island of Santiago.  It is thought that the word Batuko comes from a West African word Batuk or from the Portuguese word Batuque, meaning drums.  The ensemble is usually comprised of women drumming  and dancing in a semicircle. It is typically performed for various cultural celebrations as well as for women’s fertility.  It is suggested that much of the movement, which involves subtle and quick movements of the hips and feet, very similar to the way Samba de Roda is performed in parts of Bahia, has sexual connotations.

Up until the mid  70s when Cape Verde gained its independence, Batuko was considered “obscene and savage” by the Catholic Church and was banned from being performed in public.  Over time Batuko has been transformed into a social dance in urban areas and now men have taken  up Batuko, performing as Batukaderas.

Batukaderas Getting Down

Samba de Roda is a dance from Bahia Brazil that originally came from Angola, known as Semba.  It, like the Batuko is performed in a half or full circle and involves percussion and vocal accompaniment.   It is said that Samba de Roda is a playful way of communicating the battle of the sexes.  Samba de Roda is a seductive and light hearted dance that is performed socially throughout Bahia.  You will find it being practiced at the end of many capoeira sessions

Educational video on Samba de Roda

I see a nice little connection between Batuko and Samba. I often wonder how the two places evolved such a similar dance. Was it through a reverse diaspora of some sort or simply through migrations of Angolans.?

The Dance of Kizomba: From Angola to the World

Kizomba is a newer dance craze that, for all those enticed by partner dancing, may find pretty interesting.  It originated in Angola in the 80s, particularly Luanda (for all your capoeiristas out there), which is the main city in Angola.  Largely sung in Portuguese, it is a slower and more seductive partner dance that is performed to music reminiscent of Zouk.  In reality it is a mix of traditional Semba dance and zouk.  Here are some videos demonstrating both…

Traditional Angolan Semba

Gorgeous rendition of Zouk

Kizomba is an a more modern evolution of the previously mentioned dances that involves a lot of sensuality and some unique rhythmic timing.  Here is some videos of Kizomba being danced.

Though gaining in popularity worldwide, especially in the countries outside of Africa like Belgium and the UK, Kizomba is very popular in countries such as Sao Tome e Principe,  and other Lusophone (Portuguese speaking) countries in Africa.  As well, there is a diverse group of Afro-Lusophone immigrants living in Lisbon Portugal that are influenced by Kizomba.

Here is Kizomba being danced…

Now for me, the dance and music is a bit too electronic , but I do enjoy as I do with other partner dance forms, the emphasis on being light and fluid, while maintaining that sensuous connection, very necessary for a lead/follow dance….

Memories of Bahia Brazil

Though it’s been years since the waves of Bahian waters have kissed my feet, I can still hear the sounds of samba de roda and the blocos marching in the streets.  Of all the travelling I’ve been fortunate to embark upon, Bahia without a doubt the fondest  and most jovial memories left in the bank.  I always say life in Salvador da Bahia is like being at an amusement park for adults.  Even despite the issues of rampant crime, I still felt more at home in that place than I have any where else in the world.  I actually spent 11 months there, teaching English and studying Afro-Brazilian dance along with percussion intermittently.  Walking around playing my pandeiro, as I tried to work out some samba rhythm or drinking way too many capirinhas before going out dancing were some of the activities that filled my days.

my pandeiro

Here is some lovely music straight from Bahia…Tony Mola is one of my favorites right now…

And a little dance video to inspire you all to flow through this day with samba in your heart….do coração!

One of my favorite dancers and instructors from Bahia, Dandha da Hora giving of her beauty….

World Music that Moves the Soul by Sara Tavares

For the last few years, my most listened to artist has been the sweet and soulful songstress Sara Tavares.  Sara is of Cape  Verdean decent by way of Lisbon Portugal.  Her smooth vocals lace deep rooted tracks that take me on a journey, feeling my own connection to Iberia and it’s ancient African-Moorish roots.  Sara plays guitar on all her songs and writes in a variety of languages, from Portuguese, Cape Verdean Portuguese,  English, French and other world tongues.  Her music is laden with world music influences, from Brazil to West Africa and for a lover of Afro-Luso culture and music, definitely provides the funky suingue that captures the heart and makes anyone that can feel, sway to the rhythm.

Check out this sweet live performance by Sara.

For those that are unfamiliar, Cape Verde is a unique little island chain off of Senegal West Africa in the middle of the Atlantic.  It has a rich history of Portuguese, Italian, West African and even Jewish ancestry and roots.  This island, which prospered a great deal during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, declined in affluence with the decline of the trade.  Yet, though the vast majority of Cape Verdeans reside outside of the archipelago in places like Senegal and even in the Northeastern United States,  there still exist a rich and enticing culture.  Despite it’s fascinating history,  Cape Verde remains a best kept secret to much of the world though it is slowly becoming more of a tourist destination for Europeans looking to escape harsh Europe winters.

Here’s a map of Cape Verde showing it’s proximity to West Africa.