Music from Cape Verde – Luis Morais

The song “Boas Festas” – an end-of-year soundtrack heard everywhere on the radio and in the bars and taverns of Cape Verde – was written by the famous clarinettist Luis Morais, master of an entire generation of Cape Verdean musicians.  Wherever you go, whatever you do, either the original or one of the more modern versions of “Boas Festas” will be playing, its joyful yet nostalgic beat plunging listeners into contagious, euphoric sadness. The imminence of the New Year celebrations when all cares are forgotten irresistibly conjures up the image of a friend, brother or loved one, lost forever or gone to seek a better life elsewhere… In Cape Verde, there is always time for tears and memories before laughter and song…

Luis Morais died suddenly at the age of 67 on Wednesday the 25^th September 2002 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Luis Morais is a legend in the land of Cesaria Evora. Born on the 10^th February 1935 in Mindelo (São Vicente Island, Cape Verde), he spent his youth in Dakar, where he first studied and learnt the rudiments and theory of music, then composition. He began to play his favourite instruments, the clarinet and saxophone (alto and tenor), at Cape Verdean dances, very fashionable in Dakar at the time. Here is the song “Boas Festas”

Music from Cape verde – Bau

Rufino Almeida (12, 1962), best known as Bau born in Midelo, Cape Verde. Bau’s father was a stringed-instrument maker in Mindelo, the port of São Vicente island, the most famous in the Archipelago since the success of Cesaria Evora, also a native of this scrap of land that is also the home of many of Cape Verde’s greatest artists and composers.

At the start of the 90s, he recorded his first album with the Mindel Band, including the first pieces he had written himself – “Mindelo” (Lusafrica) – and performed on “Mar Azul”, the album that launched Cesaria Evora in 1991. In 1994, he joined the singer’s orchestra and, two years later, became its musical director, before passing the baton to pianist Nando Andrade in 1999. From the beginning of the 90s, Bau has published 6 solo albums of a sparkling beauty. Here is the song “Filosofia”

Next little piece: Desert Rain

My next little piece called “Deser Rain”, is a very relaxed – more chilled track. Hope you’ll like it.

Music from the UK – The Wise Sound

The Wise Sound is a british producer and remixer. Like his a capella mix of the Hobbit soundtrack “Misty Mountains”:

Music from the UK – Adele

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, born in 1988, is a british soul and pop musician. Although her young age, she already won many (Grammy) Awards, and was certified platinum four times in the UK, and she’s really a great singer! Listen to the soundtrack of James Bond “Skyfall”:

Soundtrack: The Cloud Atlas Sextet

Watched this great movie two weeks ago, and was impressed of its soundtrack! Listen to the trailer song “Cloud Atlas Sextet”:

 

Movie from South Africa – The Gods Must Be Crazy

Don’t know anything about the South African comedy ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’, but its soundtrack is great! Listen to “Music of the Gods” by John Boshoff, as the first title of the playlist:

Music from Middle-earth – Thorin and the Dwarves

I just came back from watching “The Hobbit” and I really liked the dwarves’ song… So here it is! It’s a pretty long edit, but the song is amazing and I could listen to it even longer. ;)

The song is called “Misty Mountains (Cold)” and was composed by Howard Shore, written by J. R. R. Tolkien, and is sung by Thorin and the dwarves in the film.

And here is “May it be” by Enya. I thought this shouldn’t miss when writing about the Lord of the Rings. :)

Music from France/Germany – Yann Tiersen & KlangKuenstler

Yann Tiersen, born in Brest in 1970, is a French film music composer best known for his soundtrack to “Amelie”. And Michael Korb alias KlangKuenstler is a bavarian electronic music producer.

Listen to the original “Amelie soundtrack”:

And the “Elektronische Welt der Amelie”, in english the “Amelie’s electronic world”:

Music from the US – Paul Cantelon

Music from the US – Paul Cantelon, born in 1959, is an US-american composer of classical and film music. Here’s his nice “ Theme From The Diving Bell And The Butterfly”: