On Thursday, October 29, I will welcome Caboverdian music legend Amandio Cabral on Africa Mix. Mr. Cabral is one of the most revered composers
in his country. Cabo-Verde is located some 600 km off the coast of Senegal in West Africa.
The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 5th century. Cabo-Verde became a trading center for enslaved Africans and ater it was an important coaling and refueling stop for whaling and trans-Atlantic shipping. During the second half o f the 20th century, constant catastrophic droughts brought a significant hardship, and many of its people emigrated
around the world. As a result of this mass exodus,there are more Caboverdians living abroad than in Cabo-Verde.
It is this history of bittersweet separation and longing that has painted most of Cabo-Verde’s music culture. Many Caboverdians artists sing about nostalgia and the longing to return to their homes and loved ones. The music style most often used to express these feelings of melancholy and emotion is called “mornas”. Amandio Cabral is the composer and lyricist of the most famous morna,"Sodade,"
sung by Cesaria Evora. Cabral is the composer and singer who first took Cabo-Verde music to Europe and beyond. By bringing the morna and other Caboverdian music to worldwide audiences, he paved the way for Cesaria Evora, and many Caboverdian musicians who follow him and sing his songs today.
Join us for an exciting conversation and music from the Cabo-Verde Islands. It all begins at 9PM Pacific time on 91.7FM or at www.kalw.org/listen.
Emmanuel Nado
Producer/Host
"Echoes Of Africa" on
KKUP Radio 91.5FM Silicon Valley
& "AfricaMix" on
KALW Radio 91.7FM
San Francisco
P.O. Box 70364 Sunnyvale,California 94086
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