Gil Semedo: “I think it’s time for the Portuguese to get to know me”

Gil Semedo was born in a small village called Txan di Tanke in Santa Catarina, in the interior of the island of Santiago. But very soon he left Cape Verde and emigrated to the Netherlands. He was six years old, the youngest of seven children. It was at the funeral of his father, who died of an illness after working all his life in Holland. A difficult moment in the life of Gil Semedo occurred in 1981, and a year later something changed in his life. Michael Jackson launched Thriller. I fell in love with this work and began to imitate his singing and dancing. It was also a consolation, losing a father too early is hard, but I felt the inspiration of Michael Jackson, ”recalls the singer, who even participated in television competitions playing the King of Pop. “I became known as Michael Jackson from Holland. It just started to get boring for me. I am Gil Semedo. 16 years. “For the first time I wrote songs in Creole before I wrote them in English. I recorded them and it was very successful, it was beautiful.”
Gil created a musical style in his image and likeness, with his usual influence, “caboswing”. Based on traditional Cape Verdean music like batuque, funaná, coladeira mixed with pop music and other rhythms like zouk. All of this was accompanied by a stage performance that was groundbreaking in Cape Verdean music.
One of the highlights of Gil Semedo’s early career was “Maria Júlia”. “This rhythm, batik, has already been somewhat forgotten. I returned it. In the past, people danced only with their hands, it was very traditional. happy,” he recalls Gila of the song, which was a great success in the Portuguese-speaking world. To celebrate 30 years of his career, he is on a tour that will cover three continents, from the United States of America to the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland or France. In Africa it will be Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, and next Friday, the 17th, a party in Lisbon. I’m also starting in Portugal. I think it’s time for the Portuguese to meet Gilles Semedo,” says the singer, who believes that the difficulties that the Portuguese may face in understanding their message are easily overcome in the modern world thanks to the Internet. “I sing for the whole world, not just for PALOP. The 30th career anniversary celebration will start at the Colise and with amazing guests: Nelson Freitas, Joge, Dino d’Santiago, Gil and The Perfects (with Dina Medina). , Vado and Pato). We have a complete program. We’re going to celebrate big,” concludes Gil Semedo.