Photo courtesy of Satalla

Ferro Gaita has been called “the greatest revelation in Cape Verdean music” (WAWagency.com) because they have not only kept funana alive but revolutionized the genre for the contemporary audience. Their first album, Fundu Baxu presented funana in its original style and was the highest selling CD in Cape Verde in the year it was released (1997).

Two years later, the band released its second CD, Rei de Tabanka, recorded in the US. It includes unknown traditions like batuke, finaçon and tabanka along with funana, giving the project a completely original and unprecedented sound. Their most recent studio album, Banda Liberdade, (2004) launched them to new heights, solidifying Ferro Gaita as the face of modern Cape Verdean music. All the while, they have stayed true to their origins and, in 2006, they released a live CD/DVD, fittingly titled Finkadu na Raiz, or “Stuck in the Roots”.