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CD Review - Enticing vocalist sings Cape Verde's praises
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News-Sentinel, CD Review - Enticing vocalist sings Cape Verde's praises >>
By: Chuck Campbell
"M'Bem di Fora
Lura (Times Square/4Q)
Rating: ****
The Cape Verde islands couldn't ask for a much better ambassador than Lura.
The native of Lisbon, Portugal, and daughter of native Cape Verdeans sings of being from the countryside on "M'Bem di Fora," a tribute to her parents' homeland. The release captures the heart of the islands off the coast of western Africa and couches it with sleek sophistication befitting a European capital.
An equivalent to what Lura is doing would be the work Gloria Estefan has done to bring Cuban music to the world. And both singers have a similar sound powerful, textured voices often delivered with gracious restraint.
The themes of "M'Bem di Fora" are characteristically third-world: "Ponciana" is about a woman who chooses a poor local man over an immigrant from Holland she was supposed to marry; "As-Aqua" frets about a tardy rainy season; "Bida Mariadu" is about hardscrabble life in general, and "No Bern Fala" name-checks famous Cape Verdeans.
Singing in Portuguese (Cape Verde is former colony of Portugal), Lura conveys the mood of the themes beautifully. And for those who don't speak Portuguese, the CD insert offers English translations.
Meanwhile, the musical language is more accessible to American ears than might be expected. There are few foreign (to us) instruments on "M'Bem di Fora" beyond the recurring use of cavaquinho, a small guitar from Portugal. Otherwise, the music comes from basic rock and pop instruments, with flavorful dashes of accordion, harmonica, violin, cello, sax and heady, constant rush of percussion.
The fluid rhythms flow naturally, depending on lyrical disposition, and the only jarring moments come during Lura's infrequent floods of words (notably on "Ponciana," "Galanton" and "Es Anu Raboitas Ka Di Fiansa").
The up-tempo tracks are particularly persuasive as Lura, a dancer before she was a singer, harnesses the power of the funana, a sensual dance style from Cape Verde. Closing cut "Fitico di Funana"– "The Enchantment of the Funana"– would make even Shakira envious. 04/13/07
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