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CD Review
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Daily Commercial, CD Review >>
-by Chuck Campbell
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 the European capital.
An equivelant of 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 "MBem 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 tardy rainy season; "Bida Mariadu" is about a hardscrabble life in general, and "No Bem Fala" name-checks famous Cape Verdeana.
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 accordian, harmonica, violin, cello, sax and a 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 uptempo 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. 04/17/07
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