Don Verdi Orchestra

Group 1930 – (?)  Big band formed by Cape Verdeans or descendants in the New England region in the U.S.A during the “swing era”, 1930’s. Joe Livramento was a member of the orchestra during his youth.  

Orchestra de Notias

Group (1920s – 1930s)  Orchestra de Notias was one of several Cape Verdean groups that existed in the United States in the 1920s/1930s. Its leader was the violinist Cândido Almeida, “Notias”.   Between 1929 and 1935, three groups formed by Cape Verdeans made a set of forty recordings at the Columbia Read more…

Johnny Perry’s Portuguese Criolo Trio

Group (1920s-1930s)  Johnny Perry’s Portuguese Criolo Trio was the first Cape Verdean group to record an album.   On January 29, 1929, he recorded a waltz and a polka, on a gramophone record released by Columbia, in New York. The group later made other recordings, under different names: Johhny Perry’s Instrumental Read more…

Boboi di Tai

Manuel Rodericks  Cape Verde (?) (19th Century) – U.S.A (?) (20th Century)  Instrumentalist (harp and violin), songwriter. Boboi, or Boboi de Tai (nickname that refers to his mother, Tai), had some of his themes recorded in 1929 by Johnny Perry Instrumental Trio. After more than 60 years, a morna of Read more…

Augusto Abreu 

Augusto Abreu Fogo Island, 1890 – Sacramento (California), USA, 1965  Instrumentalist (violin), songwriter Augusto Abreu was a musician that lived in the U.S.A and lead a formation that bore his name, in an Americanized way: Abrew’s Portuguese Instrumental Trio. The trio was among the first groups formed by Cape Verdeans Read more…

Abrew’s Portuguese Instrumental Trio

Band (1920-1930)  Between 1929 and 1935 some musical groups formed by Cape Verdeans recorded with Columbia Records in New York. The Abrew’s Portuguese Instrumental Trio was one of them. The others were the Johnny Perry’s Portuguese Criolo Trio and the Orchestra de Notias. They were probably the first Cape Verdean Read more…

Al Lopes 

Albert Oliveira Lopes  New Bedford, USA, 1917 – New Bedford, EUA, 1988  Instrumentalist (strings), music publisher  Enterprising musician that founded his own orchestra and label.  Al Lopes is appointed by Joli Gonsalves in his text included in the book A Salute to the Cape Verdean Musicians and Their Music (Ron Read more…

B-29 Band/Star Orchestra 

Group, 1920-1949  B-29 was a string instrument group formed by Cape Verdean immigrants in New Bedford and existed for more than two decades. They played Cape Verdean and North American music, animating dances and parties in clubs, hotels and other venues, in addition to performing in radio studios. It is Read more…

Horace Silver

Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver  Norwalk, Connecticut, U.S.A, 1928 – U.S.A, 2014  Instrumentalist (piano), songwriter  The American pianist and songwriter, appointed as the creator of hard-bop and one of the biggest names in jazz since the 1950’s is a son of a Cape Verdean immigrant from the island of Maio Read more…