Mario Marta: “I rediscover myself every time I sing in a different rhythm”

Mário Marta’s solo career began about four years ago and shortly after he recorded the album “Ser de Luz”, which had a great resonance and, according to the author, was the beginning. “I still haven’t achieved what I want, but I think I’ve reached people the way I wanted. It catapulted me a little and with it I won several awards. The first one I won was from the IPMA (International Portugal Music Awards), with the best music in the world (best world music). Then at the CVMA (Cabo Verde Music Awards), best coladeira and best male artist in 2020, and more recently, the best funana. They often make me think that I have to continue and try to achieve what I hope for in traditional Cape Verdean music,” says the singer.

Mario Marta has already recorded several rhythms of traditional Cape Verdean music, but he cannot choose one as his favorite. “I really like the morna, which made me sing Cape Verdean music, but I rediscover myself every time I sing in a different rhythm, I feel authenticity, truth, and I am so happy. I am incredibly happy. “, – guarantees Mario Marta, who speaks easily the different accents of the Cape Verdean languages, and this is well expressed in the music he has recorded with rhythms from the islands of Santiago, Fogo or São Vicente. The rhythms of Guinea-Bissau are also present in his music, although not as much. “In my songs and in myself, I think it is more in me, in my singing and feelings, I mean the rhythms of Guinea-Bissau. The countries where I was born, at the time when Guinea and Cape Verde were I tend to consider myself a cabralist, that’s what I always say. Also, at home, in São Vicente or Guinea, people spoke all these languages, and it was very easy for me to assimilate any of them. And to feel these rhythms, because at home they played jams, sometimes they played Brazilian music, sometimes from Guinea or Cape Verde, all this stuck in me,” admits Mario Marta.

Last month, the video for Ricky Boy’s “Kel tempo” was released, featuring Mario Marta and Loreta. “The song talks about the ‘old Cape Verde’, about how good it was when we were kids. It’s a very strong, beautiful, danceable, fun funana,” says the singer about the theme, which was filmed in three stages. Ricky Boy recorded in Cape Verde, Loreta in the Lisbon area and Costa de Caparica, and Mario Marta, who sings the chorus, recorded his part in Lisbon.

The singer has participated in several initiatives related to traditional Cape Verdean music, a few days ago he took part in the show “Morabeza em Lisboa” at the Capitol Theater, dedicated to the biggest names in Cape Verdean music such as Bana, Cesária Évora, Sara Tavares or Celina Pereira, under the musical direction of Humberto Ramos. At the end of the month, on August 30, Mario will be the voice of the group Monte Cara in a new concert at B.Leza.