João Silva Songwriter, producer, editor Mindelo, São Vicente, 1929 – Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2023 Djunga de Biluca was a pioneer in Cape Verdean emigration to Europe, a militant in the struggle for Independence, and the founder of Morabeza Records, which released 40 LPs and more than a dozen EPs in the Read more…
Group, 2002-2003 In 2002, the II Congress of Cape Verdean Cadres In the Diaspora (a periodic meeting organized by Cape Verdean emigrants) decided to pay tribute to the group Voz de Cabo Verde (I) by momentarily bringing together its members in the archipelago. The original lineup was nearly complete, with Read more…
Group, 1972-1985 “So Bana said: ‘We’re not going to end, we’re going to get back together’. At that time, Bana had financial backing, so he started looking for another Voz de Cabo Verde”, says Luís Morais (Cabo Verde e a Música – Dicionário de Personagens). Luís Morais and Frank Cavaquinho were the Read more…
Group, 1965-1970 Voz de Cabo Verde became famous in the 1960s and continued to evolve for the next 30 years. Based on electric instruments, its initial members included Luís Morais (clarinet, saxofone, and flute), Morgadinho (trumpet), Toy d’Bibia (guitar), Jean da Lomba (bass) and Frank Cavaquinho (drums). Frank, who had already been in the Netherlands since 1964 and Read more…
Joaquim Soares de Almeida Praia Branca, São Nicolau, 1931 Instrumentalist (winds, bass), singer, songwriter A member of Voz de Cabo Verde in its original formation and again in the 2000s, Morgadinho has released one solo album. He has also collaborated with various artists on recordings and has several compositions to Read more…
Ildo Neves de Sousa Lobo Sal, 1953 – Praia, Santiago, 2004 Singer, songwriter Owner of a sonorous, open, and powerful voice, Ildo Lobo was already one of the most acclaimed artists among the Cabo Verdean public long before starting his solo career. From the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, as a Read more…
It’s often noted that Cabral’s legacy is at risk of fading among younger generations born in independent Cabo Verde. However, there are those committed in preserving his memory alive and condemning injustices Cabral would have fought against. Rap music has become a vehicle not only for expressing strong messages but Read more…
Cabo Verde & Its Music – A Virtual Museum associates itself to the celebrations of the centennial of Amilcar Cabral by sharing compositions that talk about the political leader and thinker. Cabral is not only a significant figure in the history of Cabo Verde but also in Cabo Verdean music, Read more…
João Cirilo Pereira Monteiro Polon de Engenho, Santa Catarina, Santiago, 1954 Singer, songwriter, instrumentalist (harmonica, guitar) Although João Cirilo is always associated with funaná, mornas, koladeras, reggae, and other rhythms are also part of his repertoire, depending on the times. His first album is Ilusão dess mundo, from 1978, accompanied Read more…
Some works in English on Cabo Verdean music Barboza, Ronald. A salute to the Cape Verdean musicians and their music. New Bedford: Documentation and Computerization of the Cape Verdeans, 1989. Hoffman, JoAnne, “Diasporic Networks, Political Change, and the Growth of Cabo-Zouk Music”. In Jørgen Carling & Luís Batalha (eds.), Transnational Read more…