Dados Biográficos

Manuel de Candinho, nasceu em São Domingos, na localidade de “Chaminé”, ilha de Santiago. Como tantos outros, escolheu a emigração, fixando-se primeiro em Portugal (1982-1985) e depois na Holanda, desde 1985 até hoje.

Um dos melhores grupos de Cabo Verde, Ferro Gaita, começa dia 8 de Maio uma digressão pelos Estados Unidos da América para apresentar o seu último trabalho intitulado Cidade Velha.

A tournée do Grupo começa pelo Estado de Florida onde no dia 8 de Maio haverá uma actuação no Teresa’s Restaurant (219 Broadway Ave, Kissimmee).De Florida o passo seguinte será Nova York como um espectáculo previsto em West Houston, Nova York, no S.O.B.’s.

Dia 15 o Grupo actuará na sala "Stone Moutain Arts Center", Brownfield, Maine terminando a digressão no dia 16 de Maio  em Massachusetts no Showcaselive no novo complexo comercial e recreativo, Patriot Place, em Foxboro.

Recorda-se que no mês de Fevereiro e Março Ferro Gaita apresentou com sucesso o albúm Cidade Velha em vários palcos da europa.

Em cooperação com a Rádio Atlântico (Holanda)

GLOBAL MUSIC PHOTOJOURNALIST/DJ/PRODUCER, NOVELIST, YOGA INSTRUCTOR (NEW YORK) -

When I turned my journalism focus from rock and hip-hop to global music in 2001, I quickly realized that the political and media-driven clichés that I was being taught by newspapers and television accounted for but a small minority of each country's population. The way to enter and embrace a nation is through the arts, most notably music, which, despite the criticisms from a small number of record executives (who unfortunately have a big percentage of legislative pull), is in great shape as both an industry and as a creative force. Today, our ability to taste and sample the music of the world has never been greater. Here are four artists dedicated to preserving their own culture's musical form while, to a varying degree, evolving it into future possibilities.

With a growing list of accolades, Cape Verdean singer Maria De Barros has been reinterpreting her ancestral homeland since her 2003 debut Nha Mundo. Music is in this Senegalese native's blood, almost literally -- her godmother is the famed Cesaria Evora, Cape Verde's musical queen. After releasing her follow-up, Danca Ma Mi, with Narada, she moved over to the South African label Sheer to distribute her latest, Morabeza. While the global-influenced singer (now a Los Angeles resident), considers her music to borrow from elements of many cultures, at root you hear the soft acoustics and dependably groove-oriented African rhythms embedded in every note.

What carries the weight of this album, as on her last two, is her voice. It doesn't necessarily need instrumentation, and fortunately most of her latest album is musically sparse, offering De Barros more room to flex her lyrical strength. So while the upbeat songs are enjoyable, one listens to her for tracks like "Nha Vazio," which includes a simple guitar line, a few string sections, a tasteful harmonica interlude, and not much else. Beautiful.

Cultural cataloging is part of San Francisco-based producer and performer Jef Stott's latest project, Eliyahu Sill & The Qadim Ensemble. After releasing a fierce Arabic-tinged electronica record on Six Degrees, Saracen, he joins with multi-instrumentalist Sills to produce his very organic, richly textured exploration of Jewish and Arabic folk songs. The instruments Sills plays are many; ney, oud, bass, and vocals dominate. The ensemble takes care of the rhythm and some of the vocals, including a gorgeous outing by Rachel Valfer, who also doubles up on oud. Her interpretation of the classic "Im Nin'alu" is breathtaking.

Eastern Wind (Embarka) is at root a musical project devoted to healing the social and political rifts forced upon Jewish and Arabic populations for nearly a century now. (We'll leave aside the Christian roots of this occupation, which would date it back many more.) The ensemble chose the word Qadim, as it implies both history and "that which is to come" (in both Arabic and Hebrew), symbolically locking them into their mission when presenting this deeply sonorous album of songs of love and devotion. It is a gorgeous attempt at a cause which has seen too many musically clunky efforts over the years, for it does not sacrifice music for message; the darkness in rhythm and melody hints at yearning as much as fulfillment, correctly capturing the mindset of so many today.

What Valfer's voice is to Middle Eastern song, Lily Storm is to Eastern Europe. Not that the Bay Area vocalist is limited to these musics either, but that region is the focus of her latest solo album, If I Had a Key to the Dawn (Songbat). It is a stark, stunning record, unsurprising upon learning that Storm sang with vocal troupe Kitka for a half-decade, whose albums never disappoint. Here she takes on Greece, Aremenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and more on their own terms, creating a stunning tapestry of sounds backed up by an elegant selection of instrumentalists.

Hence, you have accordions, duduks, riqqs, bouzoukis, and harps all subtly (well, as subtle as an accordion can be) laying the backdrop for Storm's powerful voice to sail over. There are very few opportunities for Americans to hear such an array of European folk songs in one place -- Kitka has been one of the few holding down the throne -- so Storm's songs of "love and lament," as the subtitle goes, is a welcome addition, enough to pique and fill anyone's curiosity.

While so far we have explored three quieter, predominantly female -- if not in person than in tone -- ways of reflecting culture, here we go off in an entirely different direction: mariachi. This over-the-top, showboating Mexican folk form is masculine in all its heart-tearing and tear-jerking glory. The father son team of Pedro and Mauricio Gonzalez, leaders of the group Mariachi Real de San Diego, went crate digging in Tijuana to pull out the holiest of the holy mariachi gems. The result is the appropriately titled Mariachi Classics (Mardi Gras).

OK, this is not subtle music at all, but if you are feeling nostalgic for the culture that you know (or want to pretend to know), this is the place to start. Cliché? Certainly: that combination of guitars and brass and violin is irrefutably Mexican. Fortunately this sextet does it well, and while it's tough to listen to an entire album without having flashbacks of mariachi bands joining ranchera icon Vicente Fernandez (or, worse, of a group of mariachis chasing my cab in Mexico City in full garb, trying to physically stop the driver so they could play for us), this band's name is true to the word: they are the real thing.

This article was also published at The Huffington Post

 ESCRITOR E DRAMATURGO -

Artista Pepey Dallas

Ku sais anu di idadi txaskan na korpu, Pepey Dallas sôti na barku, na portu di “Vale dos Cavaleiros” na ilha di Fogu, djuntu ku si pai ku si mai, e kanba Praia trás di buska bida midjor. Korenta i un anu dja pasa, Pepey Dallas gosi ta vive na Purtugal, undi ki, ladu-a-ladu ku si trabadju diáriu pa si pon di kada diâ, e ta bai ta kati-kati na fase si múzikas. Ku kuatu trabadju diskográfiku – dja – na merkadu, e sa ta purpara manenti pa un DVD sai dentu en brevi. Prubulema é prudutor ki sta-l un-kusinha mariadu, pamodi pruposta ka sa ta mutu da-l ku stangu.

E fla ma si purmeru trabadju txôma “Distinu, Pamodi?” pamodi ma e konxe striba pa e odja si e ta gravaba i ma ningen ka da-l mo. Ma nton, kantu e konsigi grava, e konsidera ma distinu go, dja txiga na el. Pa el, distinu e omesmu kusa ki sorti.

Otor tanbe di “Matxikadu”, apezar di ta kanta funaná i otus stilu mudernu, e ta tôka kuazi tudu nstrumentu, tirandu violinu ku klarineti. Rapasinhu ki pasa tanbe pa txeu otu spirensia di vida, kati-kati sima ta da, ti ki sta-l ma gosi kusa dja midi korenta-l. E foi mininu di “OPAD-CV”, e pasa pa “JAAC-CV”, e bai pa Skuteru ti ki e ngresa na grupu, o midjor, e djuda funda “Netinhus di Vovo”, un grupu muzikal di kapital ki, infilismenti, interpretadu mariadu i, más tardi pegadu na kel titu li, pa kobadu “Mininus di Ruâ” koitadus disprotejedu.

E komesa si aventura komu “badjador” na pistas di diskotekas di kapital, más tardi e partisipa na “Tudu Mundu Kanta”, undi ki e konsigi txiga ti meiu-final a nível nasional.

Pepey Dallas ta rakôrda ku mágua, kantu si purmeru bitxinhu muzikal komesa buli-l na korpu, na ladu di Katxás ku rapásis di Bulimundu, undi ki el pikinotinhu, djuntu ku si amigu “Hipólito” es ta kunpanhaba rapásis pa tudu kau, ta djuda-s ruma konjuntu, ta fase-s mandadu, a-el é ta sênsia kes stilu doxi di tôka Funaná, ta prêsia kes dedu lijeru di Katxás ta dispinika korda violon, ta lêba piskos pa trás, ta nklisa odju na kabesa… ku kel rapidês di mo ndreta di Zekinha Magra ta siridja korda na bariga di si viola rítimu, Zeka ta kanta ta fla: - “O mundu ka ku kaba”, rapasis ta rusponde ta fla: “- Nha Froza, nha vinti skudu é timanxe!”. Pa el, pode moreba tudu algen na mundu – kel bes – menus el ku rapásis di Bulimundu.

E fla ma e prende tôka el so, sen ningen nxina-l un nota siker. Ma e ben konxe nota li na Purtugal, dipôs ki dja e ta tokaba kuazi tudu múzikas. E fla ma tudu bes ki e ta tôka violon ta sta-l ma Katxás ta sta na si bêra, si nspirason ta omenta, gana’l grita Funaná ta da-l.

É konfesa ma ka ten ninhun língua más na mundu ki e ta xinti ton avontadi pa e kanta na el ki ka kiriolu. Ma kiriolu ta nase-l sábi di alma, ta sai-l fáxi di boka, ta kanba suavi na obidu di kenha ki sa ta obi.

Pa e konklui, e fla ma governu debe da más apoiu a nos kultura i valoriza midjor nos kiriolu. I, e dexa un konsedju: - “Era bon ki manenti-manenti dadu kursu di kiriolu, spisialmenti pa skerebedoris di letras di múzika, di forma a aplikadu jeneralizadamenti (AK) Alfabetu Kabuverdianu. Sendu si, tudu artistas, enves di fika ta skrebe uaia-uaia, konformi da-s na kabesa, es ta sigi kel ki pursor o mestri nxina-s”, konformi regra ki Stadu aprôva.

Dallas fla ma tudu letra ki es artistas es ta skrebe, ma é skrebedu na purtugês – dja mariadu – i, ma so ora ki es ta kanta-l ki es ta fase-l traduson diretu pa kiriolu.

— “Si nu ta papia bon kiriolu, nu debe skrebe kiriolu dretu; si nu ta kanta na kiriolu, pamodi ki nu ka ta skrebe nos múzika na kiriolu tanbe? Sima na altura di kanpanha pulítikus ta kore trás di (nos) artistas di múzika pa (nu) djuda-s pasa ses mensaji, tanbe, através di (nos) muzikus, governantis pode divulga nos kiriolu i môstra mundu intêru modi ki nos língua debe skrebedu”.

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 ESCRITOR E DRAMATURGO -

Era sesta-fêra, diâ 27 di Agostu di 2010, dentu’l boka tardi na Altu Koba-da-Môra, na Buraka – Amadora. “Danilo Semedo”, múziku i konpozitor kabuverdianu ki nâse na Portu Madera, konsedju di Santa Krus, sa ta kanbaba na kafe di Xilí pa e bai almusaba. Nsodadu, el riba solêra porta pa e kanba, e obi kel kiriolu ta soti-l na obidu, e bira rostu e da ku “Stefanie” ku boka abertu ta fla: - DANILU!!!

“Danilo” kudi-l ku boka kaladu, apenas ku un surizu ki, kenha ki ka konxe-l pode ate fla ma é surizu di “makakisa”.

“Stefanie” karapati-l kel-ora na piskos, klaramenti imusionadu, sima kenha ki kaba di diskubri un-kusa más inportanti na si bida, fla-l:

- Mos! A-mi é bu fan nunbru un. Dja-m ten kantu tenpu N ta purkura konxe-bu, ti ki oxi dja-m odja-bu sen ki N spera. Bu ka ta imanjina modi ki dja-m fika kontenti!
“Stefanie” é franseza, branka la di Paris. Tioxi é ka bai Kabu Verdi i, é purmeru bes ki e sa ta poi pe na Purtugal. E ta ratxa kiriolu ki ta pensadu ma é “badiu-branku” o “sanpadjudu” ki dja dura moradu na Praia.

E fla ma e komesa ta gosta di língua kiriolu, kantu inda e staba pikinoti, purmeru, na obi un si bizinha ta papia ku si fidjus. Ma kantu e bai skola, na obi kiriansas kabuverdianus ta papia kiriolu e kaba ku prende papia tanbe. I, ma na obi múzika kabuverdianu, kusa ki e ka ta trôka ku nada ki ten na mundu, e kaba pa purfesuâ, ti ki oxi e ta papia-l ratxadu-bai. E ta papia, e ta skrebe, e ta le (ingrasadu) dentu di norma di AK (es-ALUPEC).

Konbersu bai di-li, konbersu bai di-la, “Danilo” fla-l pa es almusa, e nêga, pamodi ma e kaba kumeba kel-ora, ma inda e staba fartu. Mas, kantu “Elsa”, mudjer di “Xilí”, fankia “Danilo” kel trabesa di gizadu di masa di midju tera, ku mandioka ku karni bodi, kunpanhadu ku aros di Fransa, “Stefanie” ka rizisti, e pidi “Elsa” pa da-l un pratu ku un kudjer. Sta-m propi ma es ka pidi “Elsa” pa fora-s más un biandinha ku un kaldinhu so pamodi burgonha. Sa ta parseba na ses forma di mexe ku boka ma kumida staba rai-di-sábi.

Stefanie ben pasa féria na Purtugal. E pára na kasa di un si amiga ki es konxe kunpanheru na Paris, dja dura. Kel amiga li ta môra na bairu di Kazal da Boba na Amadora, un bairu undi ki algen ki môra la más txeu é kabuverdianu. A-li tudu algen é obrigadu papia kiriolu. Ti tugas, si es kre fla algun kusa, es ten ki fla-l na kiriolu. Si es kre kunpra midju-asadu, sarabudja, toresma, grogu, pontxi di koku o di azedinha o di kalbisera… es ten ki pidi-l na kiriolu

Stefaniue fla ma kusa ki ta inkanta-l na kabuverdianus é kel sinpatiâ, kel forma sinplis i faxi di tratamentu, kel muzikalidadi na fala i kel kor mulatadu, o xukulatadu, razultadu di mustura di brankus ku negrus.

Foi un tardi ki, di serteza, “Stefanie” pidi Nhordes más di ki un bes pa ka dexa-l kôrda di-zimola, pamodi ma e ka kre pa kel rialidadi ki e sa ta viveba, serba apenas un sonhu sunhadu. Nau! E ka ta setaba. Tinha ki serba sonhu vivedu, sonhu rializadu, sonhu konkretizadu. Afinal, e sta nbarsadu ku si ídulu.

E fla ma e prende txeu kiriolu na obi múzikas di Kabu Verdi i, subutudu, múzikas di “Danilo”. Ma e sta na skola di múzika, ta prende tôka violon, ku un amigu ki ta môra na Kanselu di Santa Krus. Ma e meste kunpra alguns disionárius o, kualker manual ki ta djuda-l studa i prende kiriolu kada bes inda más.

E ta diskreve rialidadi di ilha di Santiagu, nomis di algen di-la, trajetu di Praia, Sandumingu, Uzorgu, Piku, Somada, Tarafal, Kadjeta, Santiagu, Midju-Branku ki ta pensadu ma e foi xofer o, nu mínimu, ajudanti di Iási. Parse-m te ma dja e sabe, ma tudu es gosi dja bira SIDADI.

Kontenti sem-mánha, e dispidi, e fla ma na Dizenbru e ta torna bem.