The city of Praia has once again joined the Atlantic Music Expo (AME) and Kriol Jazz Festival after AME 2022 passed without the traditionally continuous event, Kriol Jazz Festival. Thus, at the beginning of the week, the 9th issue of AME began. An event that brings together music professionals, whether producers, festival directors or international journalists, to participate in conferences, workshops and showcases, where artists from different continents perform on the stages of the capital of Cape Verde, showcasing their work that can determine your itinerary in so-called “music of the world.”
The launch of the event, led by Augusto Veiga, took place on 10 April at the National Auditorium in the presence of the Prime Minister of Cape Verde, Ulisses Correia y Silva, and the Minister of Culture and Creative Industries, Abraao Vicente. A desire to intensify the event for next year has been established as the effects of the covid-19 pandemic are still being felt.
The traditional music of Cape Verde was held at the National Auditorium. But the shows started on the 11th, with the artist at home Sarah Alinho, in the Ildo Lobo Palace of Culture. The singer, who recorded two albums – the first “Mosaico” from 2014 and the second “Ton di Petu” from 2018 – performed themes such as “Grito Mudjer”, “Santo Nobu” and ended her performance with music. Paulino Vieira “M’Cria Ser Poeta”.
Peace in Cape Verde
The Italian band got the same scene Swanno D’Ajere. AME members arrive in Cape Verde from all over the world: Canada, Brazil, Spain, United States of America, France, Nigeria, Italy, Slovakia, Morocco and Portugal, with the singer Christina Clara.
If the performances that take place at lunchtime take place at the Palau de la Cultury, at the end of the day they are open to the public and start on Rua Pedonal do Plateau in the city, before taking a break on stage at Plaza Luis de Camões. .
Beni EsguerraColombian and Canadian musician and poet introduced Rua Pedonal and a pianist from Cape Verde. Carlos Matos on the stage of Praça Luís de Camões, standing in front of the audience with only his instrument. The format, according to Carlos Matos, is not very common in Cape Verde. But, playing a fan, he managed to accompany the audience. “Warmth” that inspired the artist, who is experiencing a new phase of his career with this solo project.
The night continued with the Brazilian currently residing in Lisbon. Leo Middea. With his guitar, he brought Brazilian popular music to the event on the island of Santiago. From the island closest to the capital, Mayo Island, a rapper arrived CSI Maat Raand complete the performances at Rua Pedonal, one of the most significant representatives of Creole hip-hop, Elio Batalhawho opened the concert with a tribute to the soldiers who died in the recent fire in Serra Malagueta, on the island of Santiago.
The highlight of his performance was when he invited the children, who were watching the concert very close to the stage, to come and sing along with him. “When I’m on stage, I feel like this is our show. It’s not mine. People must participate. I consider it my mission to attract people to the show. They need to feel that I am their brother,” explains Elio. Batalha about his action during the “Dexam Bois” theme.
The long-awaited concert of Tyro Costa
The concert of the singer, also from the island of Santiago, was eagerly awaited. Tyro Costa. Living in the United States of America, the artist was looking forward to showing his recent album to the public, but the concert was eventually postponed until the next day due to health issues that left him speechless. He recovered and ended up closing the evening on the 12th on the stage of Place Louis de Camões, replacing a singer from Burkina Faso. Kandy Girawho, due to the cancellation of his flight in Lisbon, was unable to arrive in Cape Verde on time for the meeting.
Tyro, already recovered, presented his new album “Nha Casa”, whose name in Creole has a double meaning: my home or my game. “You have to go hunting to get something. I was looking for artists that I like to be in my house and celebrate Cape Verdean music and African identity. An album that in its entirety represents the originality and essence of being with the difficulties of slavery, food or clothing,” explained Tairo Costa.
The second day of shows began at the Palace of Culture with Natalya Machinfrom the Canary Islands, but opening the day on Rua Pedonal, Portuguese Christina Clara. The singer made the inhabitants of Praia happy by combining the style of Minho with the rhythm of the batuk, traditional for Cape Verde.
“Being in Cape Verde for the first time and being able to host the batucadeiras as guests was a wonderful combination,” said the singer, who bases her music on Portuguese, Cape Verdean and Brazilian rhythms.
The music continued to stir the city. Ari Morais, Carlos G Lopez, Kavita Shah also performed on the night Josslyn she shone with all her glamor on the stage, but mostly with the firmness of her voice. Always in a very energetic rhythm Pedestrian Street danced and sang from beginning to end of the concert.
On the last day of AME, the voice that caught the attention of many music professionals in Cape Verde, Bertania Almeida, and with the performance in this event it is possible to reach new horizons. The artist has already participated in the competition of young singers in 1996. Later, in Coimbra, when she was studying architecture, she sang with a group of friends, also from Cape Verde.
After that, he moved away from music a little, but since 2019 he has become more serious about his calling. She recently edited “Descobri”, her first album of that name, because it is in “the phase of re-experiencing music, rediscovering Cape Verdean music”, tells the singer about the work she recorded in collaboration with guitarist Bau, excellent reference to the music of Cape Verde.
Cesaria Evora remembered in a documentary
In the afternoon, the film “Cesaria Evora” directed by Ana Sofía Fonseca was screened at the Palace of Culture. A documentary film about the life of the “barefoot diva” has already been shown at many film festivals. He was now seen in Cape Verde by many world music professionals who lived around the world with “his” Siz, as she was known to those closest to her.
The music continues. The seed left by Cesaria Evora continues to grow Zul Alves another example of a new generation of artists. He presented “Busca” at AME, his recent work based on traditional Cape Verdean music. Also performed from Morocco singer Sonya Nur and Slovaks warcocks. To close the event, a mythical band from Cape Verde, bulimundo. Responsible for spreading the traditional Santiago style, funana, to other Cape Verdean islands, which only happened after independence. Zeka di Nya Reynalda they sang and bewitched, as it could not be otherwise with this “Big Man”, who leaves no one indifferent to the innate feeling of his voice.
With the end of the 9th edition of the Atlantic Music Expo, it’s time for the Kriol Jazz Festival. On the same stage in the Plaza Luis de Camões. The festival is led by José da Silva, responsible for the career of Cesaria Evora. In this edition, the 12th, the laureate was Nhonho Hopffer de Almeidamusician and architect, much loved in the city of Praia.
A Orchestra Baobab, from Senegal, opened the festival. followed Pamela Baggiogo from Gabon.
Cape Verdean musician to take the stage this Friday Cheka, Rosevelt Collier from USA, Lueji Luna from Brazil This Bamba Vasulu Grove from Mali. Saturday the 15th, the night starts at Dee Dee Bridgewaterafter Lucibela, Nigeria Wingand ends with the Spaniards Dr. Prats.
Author: Thiago Souza Diaz
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.