The Forbidden Music of the Cape Verde Islands

December 17, 2016 11:12 AM

Legend of Funaná The funaná sound is a specific one, an important one to the islands of Cabo Verde, and one never better than coming from the fiery, masterful hands of Bitori. One origin story states that funaná developed when the Portuguese tried to spread Western music styles by introducing the accordion, an attempt to pull Cabo Verde closer, culturally, to Europe. If that is the truth, it’s a plan that backfired gloriously.
posted by infini (5 comments total)

I went on YouTube to try to hear more of the songs, and I found this playlist that starts with one of the songs on the album in the initial link, then moves on to a bunch of others. Watching the videos starts to give me this whole other look at the dress and dance surrounding this. Or if I start off with the Joao Cerilo song in the fourth link, I end up in this playlist. I could get lost in this for a while...
posted by limeonaire at 11:42 AM on December 17, 2016 [4 favorites]

Thanks limeonaire, your links led me to this live video of Bitori playing
posted by infini at 12:05 PM on December 17, 2016 [2 favorites]

So many accordion jokes, so little time...
posted by Naberius at 5:23 PM on December 17, 2016

I like accordion music, dude. Cape Verdean music is really nice, too.
posted by jonmc at 10:55 AM on December 18, 2016

Awesome. The late great Cesaria Evora remains my jam.
posted by aspersioncast at 4:11 PM on December 19, 2016 [1 favorite]