Emilio More was the secret weapon of the Kriol Jazz Festival in Praia.

The Cuban singer, a member of Septeto Habanero for twenty years, took the stage in the middle of the Afro Cuban Jazz Project’s set and only had to sing the first line of “Dos Gardenias” to grab everyone’s attention. His voice left no one indifferent. From the audience that was closest to the stage to those further away, between snacks, meetings and conversations, everyone refocused their attention on the stage.

Emilio entered with melody and firmness in his voice. In a tropical climate and with a great band, I played at home. The Cape Verdean public reacted with enthusiasm. Emilio came in with “gans” and quickly became happy. The band gave it their all, even if they were on stage with one of their idols. Jorge Reyes is a double bassist and is in charge of the group, which is a project created together with José da Silva and whose goal is to exchange experiences between Cuban and Cape Verdean musicians. Jorge Reyes said he was very pleased with the performance of the Afro Cuban Jazz Project, which performed for the first time in Cape Verde, and at the jazz festival.

“Here is a man who surprises us. This is the voice of experience, Emilio More. It was very interesting to work together, and for the first time,” said the double bassist, who called the Cuban singer for a short interview. square after concerts. “It was an honor to be accompanied by top-class musicians,” concluded Emilio More after the concert that closed the second evening of the Kriol Jazz Festival (KJF).

The KJF lasted three days, starting on Thursday with Spaniards Jorge Pardo and Armando Orbon and Cape Verdean Soren Araujo. But Friday night saw the big star of this year’s festival, Salif Keita, give a concert that will live in the memory of Cape Verdeans. After a press conference in which he expressed his admiration for Cesaria Evora, at KJF he performed the song he recorded with the “barefoot diva”, “Yamore”, this time with singer Mindela Soares.

American saxophonist Steve Coleman also took the stage, bringing his creative musicality from Chicago. The evening opened with a performance by Tibau Tavares, a singer from the island of Mayo in Cape Verde, who played with the Munganga Band from Austria, with whom he has performed in Europe. After playing in the beach city, the singer was satisfied.

“I’m very happy. Because it was a concert for my people. This is always important,” says the singer. When asked by the local press that he sang mornas at the festival, the singer replies: “I am from Cape Verde. I know very well that the Creole loves mornas, but at festivals he does not like slow music. But I oblige to listen to them. Because lukewarmness is our root.”

Saturday was the last day of the festival. Jennifer Solidad voices Pret & Bronk from Khaly Angel. Criolatino has united Afro Cuban Jazz Project with some musicians from Cape Verde, such as saxophonist Totinho, who belongs to Tubaroins and was part of Cesaria Evora’s group, guitarist and composer Hernani Almeida and Hali Angel on keyboards, and with the voices of new revelations Zubicilla Spencer and Fabio Ramos . As the final night’s headliner, Brazilian Hermeto Pascoal, considered “the most impressive musician in the world” by Miles Davis, continues to master the art of improvisation at 87 and offered a song he had written to KJF on stage. , which he insisted be delivered to José da Silva, the festival director and former manager of Cesaria Évora.

KJF 2024 concluded with music from Ghana, Santrophy, an African rhythm associated with funk and Afrobeat through drums, percussion, guitars, brass instruments and keyboards. The city of Praia danced until the end.