Rui Pina
Rui Pina. Photo courtesy of Rui Pina
Rui César Neves Medina de Pina
São Filipe, Fogo, 1962
Singer, composer, instrumentalist (bass), music producer
From childhood, Rui Pina, like other boys, made his own instruments out of tin cans and other materials. During his adolescence, after emigrating with his family to the United States, he started drums and singing lessons. In the early1980s, he was invited to join Tabanka Djazz, a group formed by Cabo Verdeans and Guineans and from this group would emerge the Guiné-Bissau group that rose to prominence from the 1990s onward. As a member of this group he records the LP Tchica, on which he stood out as a vocalist. However, he did not stay with the group for long.
In 1988, Rui Pina joined Ice Band for some time but left to record his first solo project, Nase pa vive, initially intended to be a promotional cassette but it ended up being very well received by the public. From then on, he recorded several other albums featuring a varied repertoire, including danceable zouks and kolazouks, as well as morna and romantic songs. “Sheila” was one of his biggest hits.
Alongside his solo career, he works as a music producer, collaborating with different artists, both from Cabo Verde and from other places. He has composed and produced albums for Tatiana, Sandro, Felixberto Fernandes, Vargas, Justin, among others.
In 2022, to mark the 100th anniversary of the city of São Filipe, he recorded the composition, “Balada de São Filipe” under the title Hino do Fogo, written by Father Matias Cláudio Simões, a Portuguese priest who lived in Cabo Verde for many years and served as an inspiration to young people beginning their musical journey.
Em 2022, para assinalar os 100 anos da cidade de São Filipe, gravou, com o título “Hino Do Fogo”, a composição “Balada de São Filipe”, da autoria do Padre Matias Cláudio Simões, sacerdote português que viveu muitos anos em Cabo Verde e foi uma referência par que vários jovens se iniciassem na música.
Discography
- Nase pa vive, cassette, Kola Records, Boston, 1989.
- Irresistible, CD, Kola Records, Boston, 1992.
- Senpri na nha pensamentu, CD, Kola Records, Boston, 1998.
- Sinplismenti Rui, CD, Kola Records, Boston, 2001.
- Best of Rui, CD, Fenetre Musique, Brockton, 2004.
- Obsession, CD, Fenetre Musique, Brockton, 2005.
- Essencial, Fenetre Musique, Brockton, 2012.
- Senpri na nha pensamentu, single, self-released, 2012.
- Fazem amor, single, self-released, 2012.
- Nos e namorado, single, self-released,2012.
- Nu fica djunto, single, self-released, 2017.
- Kondênadu Pâ Trâdison, self-released, 2020.
- I vote for love, self-released, 2022.
- Hino do Fogo, self-released, 2022.
- Featured artist on Adriano Santo’s CD Saxophonia’s, 2014.
