Various Artists – Synthesize The Soul: Astro-Atlantic Hypnotica From The Cape Verde Island 1973 – 1988 (Ostinato Records, 2017)
This great compilation opens a door into a fascinating set of artists from Cape Verde that mixed traditional dance music with electronics and western pop influences throughout two decades.
The majority of the songs feature three types of Cape Verdean hip-shaking genres: funaná, coladeira and batuqe. As tens of thousands of Cape Verdeans migrated to Europe and North America, they had access to synthesizers and other devices, which they used to renovate the islands’ popular dance rhythms.
A young musician named Paulino Vieira, who was a member of acclaimed singer Cesaria Evora’s band, was one of the masterminds behind the keyboard revolution. He arranged or contributed to half the tracks in this compilation.
“Paulino was the most visionary,” said Elisio Gomes, a Paris-based singer who collaborated with Vieira frequently. “He always had this gift to be 10 years ahead of his time. That’s why our music sounds like it was produced today.”
Buy Synthesize The Soul: Astro-Atlantic Hypnotica From The Cape Verde Island 1973 – 1988
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.
