Group, 1979-1986 

Tropical Power was created by Norberto Tavares and his brother António Tavares when they moved to the USA after the end of Black Power in which they participated in Lisbon. The idea was to continue the work they had started in Portugal but didn’t keep the name because it wasn’t their idea and also because the expression black power was linked to black movements in the USA. “We then decided to stay with power but replace black with tropical”, explained Norberto Tavares (Cabo Verde & a Música Dicionário de Personagens). 

Norberto takes over the keyboards and is the lead singer while António plays the bass. The other members are Joaquim Santos (drums, congas), Terêncio Fonseca and Felisberto Fontes (guitar) and Adalberto Barros (percussion). The group recorded Mundo Stá di Boita (1982), Em Acção – A Musical Connection, with participation of the then newcomer Gardénia Benrós as vocalist (1983). 

The group lasted continuously until 1986 and after that reunites occasionally. Belongs to a period in which the groups with five or six members were the standard – along the lines of Black Power, África Star, Tulipa Negra, Bulimundo, Os Tubarões and others, some more some less famous –, model that practically extinguishes after the 1990s. 

Discography 

• Mundo stá di boita, LP, Iefe Discos, Lisbon, 1982. 
• Tropical Power em ação, LP, Electromovel, Lisbon, 1983. 

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Thanks to Valdir Alves (in memoriam) and Djinho Barbosa for their collaboration in creating this page.