Cape Verdean Music
Baia das Gatas music festival
Baia das Gatas ("Bay of Cats") is the font of local music.
On the first weekend of August there is a music festival on the
beach.
Inspired by Woodstock the 'Festival de Musica da Baia das Gatas'
has bands from mostly tropical countries playing many musical styles.Some
35,000 visitors now camp on the beach. After dark, it becomes an
open-air night club, with dancing, and people, playing bisca and
drinking grogue.
As well as Cape Verdean music, you can hear Jazz, Rap, Samba, Latin,
Reggae, African and Fado.
Regular Bands Performing
Voz di Cabo Verde was founded by, Luis Morais, Bana, and Morgadinho.
Ti Lis, as he is affectionately known, pioneered Cape Verdean music.
They sing Boas Festas, the Cape Verde`s most popular song, a reminder
of times past when Luis Morais would walk the streets of Mindelo
with his clarinet .
The group Sonhos Sem Limites dance in Carnaval costume to the sounds
of Batucada.
Bau, Jenifer, Gabriela and Djoia play traditional music.
Dub Squad from Mindelo play Reggae.
Bembeya Jazz from Guinea-Conakry, and Dany Mariano`s Brazilian
band, Dona Zefa play laments.
Philip Monteiro performed Ti Lis` songs with his first band in
the US.
Kompass, Cesaria Evora`s
base group, backs her, Gerard Mendes, Abertino, Lutchinha and Constantino.
Cuba’s Sierra Maestra and Brazilian Jair Rodrigues, sing
popular songs along with the audience.
Local rappers Hip Hop Art have a funny repetoire.
Portuguese are prominent with Chullage and Dulce Pontes, who sings
her favourite songs and may join Angolan Waldemar Bastos on the
platform. Sofia Barbosa sings Borboleta and Petit Pays and American
classics.
Djosinha, from New England, does his butterfly, mixing with the
audience and singing along.
Among the special musical genres are the Funana
and Morna and Cape Verdes most
famous singer is Cesaria
Evora.
There is also church muysic which KK from Scotland enjoyed
"Christmas eve we went for a drink and sat outside a bar across
from the church near the square people started going in at 10-45
it was lovely to see all the families going to church by midnight
it was jam packed. There was an open air service there on the Sunday
afternoon that was also packed. New Years eve we were walking round
there's a smaller church on one of the other roads people were going
in we went in they were singing gospel music it was very interesting
to see. "
