Djosinha

Published by GN on 01/14/202401/14/2024

José Vieira Duarte

Mindelo, São Vicente, 1934

Singer

Vocalist of Voz de Cabo Verde between the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s, Djosinha was always characterized, in this group and as a solo artist, by the versality of his repertoire – filled with sambas, samba-songs, cumbias and boleros – and for an explosive energy on stage, the same he demonstrated in performances 30 years after his first success with that group.

His passion for music comes from his childhood “I lived on a street where there were five barbers that were also musicians. They worked until five in the afternoon and after played batuko”. In the 1950s Brazilian music flooded Cape Verde through the radio, and it remained in his repertoire. In addition to Orlando Silva, Ângela Maria, Cauby Peixoto and other Brazilian hits of the time, brazilian country music also arrived, and it was precisely while performing a classic of this genre that Djosinha sang for the first time on the radio. It was “Peixinhos do Mar”. “A program on Pedro Afonso Radio paid 10 escudos to participants. At that time, it was a lot of money. I ran away from home, otherwise my mom wouldn’t let me, and I went to sign up. I had to climb onto a small chair to reach the microphone, because I was small. I sang this song, got my 10 escudos and went home. I found my mother all angry, because she didn’t know where I was, and soon after she started hearing me on the radio”, remembers (Cabo Verde & a Música – Dicionário de Personagens).

“A program on Pedro Afonso Radio paid 10 escudos to participants. At that time, it was a lot of money. I ran away from home, otherwise my mom wouldn’t let me, and I went to sign up. I had to climb onto a small chair to reach the microphone, because I was small.”
Djosinha about how he started singing, in Cabo Verde & a Música – Dicionário de Personagens

Around the same time, Djosinha worked at the Eden Park Cinema, where he did a bit of everything, starting with cleaning and tidying the room and then moving to ticketing and collections. In 1955 in São Vicente, Segredo de um Coração Culpado, directed by Henrique Pereira was filmed. A rare Cape Verdean film production from that period. Djosinha was appointed by B.Léza to record the theme he composed for the movie, the morna “Luísa”.

A few years later in the studios of Rádio Barlavento, he made recordings that would be published on an EP of the series Mornas de Cabo Verde, with three songs in his voice and one in Titina’s, in one of the pioneering record editions in Cape Verde. Another EP from that time, Mornas e Coladeiras de Cabo Verde, also features his voice. In 1962, Djosinha travelled to Portugal as part of Conjunto de Cabo Verde, which toured the then colonial metropolis at the invitation of the Minister of Overseas Affairs, Adriano Moreira. In addition to music, Djosinha also played soccer, joining several Mindelense teams.

From 1963 to 1967 Djosinha worked as a seafarer. During one of his visits to the Netherlands he was invited to join the group Voz de Cabo Verde, at the time of the height of their success. As the group’s lead singer, he recorded several EP’s, and in his electrifying performances he released what young people at the time called “passo devil”, which created a sensation in the audiences he visited.

In 1971, Djosinha left the Voz de Cabo Verde, returning to the sea and, later, he settled in Rhode Island, in the USA, where he formed the group Matchona, who accompanied him in the recording of several albums. Still in the 1970s he began presenting the radio program Camin pa Cabo Verde, which lasted for decades.

Above, Djosinha, 1960s; with Voz de Cabo Verde (source: Djosinha, the showman documentary) Below: with Jack Monteiro (photo provided by Jack Monteiro) in interview to TCV (source: www.rtc.cv)

Discography

Djosinha ma Voz de Cabo Verde, LP, Casa Silva, Roterdan, [1968].
Se meu coração falasse, LP, Morabeza Records, Roterdan, 1972.
Perdão, LP, Morabeza Records, Roterdan, [1972]. With Luís Morais and his band.
Corveta, LP, Morabeza Records, Roterdan, 1973. With Morgadinhoand his band.
Adorável, LP, Morabeza Records, Roterdan, [1974].
Biografia d’um criolo, LP, Mindelo Sound, Rhode Island, 1979.
Djosinha, LP, Discos Monte Cara, Lisbon, s/d.
Simpatia, CD, Mendes Brothers Records, Brockton, 1992.
Nos dom, CD, NT&T, New Bedford, 1999.
Fala coração (compilação), CD, Morabeza Records, [1992].
Best of (compilation), CD, [?], 1994.
LP do Voz de Cabo Verde as vocalist: Partida; Regresso de Voz de Cabo Verde; Ilha do Fogo; Bonita.
EP of Voz de Cabo Verde as vocalist: Nova coladeira; Ragoce d’manhe; Agora e abol; Cumbia.