Nu Monda (Lusafrica, 2006/Times Square 4Q, 2007)
The small country of Cape Verde produces some mesmerizing artists. Although a lot of the recent Cape Verdian sensations have been female, Tcheka breaks the mold. He’s a male guitarist. He has warm, charismatic voice, but what really stands out is his use of the guitar. Tcheka is backed by Kizo Oliveira (bass guitar), Paul Ribeiro (percussion) and Hernani Almeida, a young guitar prodigy who uses the guitar in multiple ways, providing inspiring solos, utilizing it as a percussive accompaniment and also harmonizing.
While other Cape Verdian singers focus exclusively on the vocals, Tcheka‘s music combines his alluring vocals with the wonderful sound of the guitar, accompanied by West African percussion.
On Nu Monda Tcheka has returned to batuque (one of Santiago Island’s more popular beats, which was originally played by women). He also explores other styles, such as tabanka, a carnival beat; and talulu, which is played on All Saint’s Day on the island of Fogo.
Buy Nu Monda.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
