Tio Bernar

A coup d’etat in Portugal in April of 1974 (known as the Carnation Revolution) ended the wars for independence in Portugal’s African colonies and also ended Portuguese colonialism in Africa. Because there was a unity project between Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, both Portuguese colonies, a cultural exchange started between the two peoples. Cobiana Djazz, an ensemble from Guinea Bissau, played at Domingos Ramos high school, where I was a student at the time. I liked the musical theme but also the lyrics, which narrates the exploits and the prowess of a combatant, Tio Bernar (Uncle Bernard), who shot down a plane of colonial troops in the forest of Guinea-Bissau during the struggle for liberation. The aircraft exploded into pieces, the wings full of gasoline caused a fire in the forest.

The Portuguese were shocked by the prowess of the fighters, who were mostly illiterate.

The song is written and composed by the late, legendary Guinea Bissau poet and musician, José Carlos Schwarz.

Badia Di Fora

Being a “badiu” (slang for “bandit”) from the countryside, a student and disciple of the master, Ano Nobo, this theme of being an outsider falls to the bottom of my soul.

The story of the lyrics is of migrations in search of new opportunities, in which many people get along, but many get lost in their new adventures, leaving the country life for the life of the capital city of Praia. The way Ano Nobo writes his verses—all rhyming, with beautiful melodies inspired me to play and sing too. Later I ended up composing the same style.

Badia di Fora specifically refers to a girl from the interior, the countryside, of Santiago Island, who goes to the city of Praia, in search of a better life, but ends up getting into a bad life. In the countryside, the city is just a reference, but once there, it goes from a delicious papaya to a rotten fruit.

Lolinha

Lolinha is in the style of “Morna” that I really appreciate for the melody, for the lyrics, but also for the way the poet makes his declarations of romantic courtship, which culminates with the marriage that lasted until the death of the master Ano Nobo.

Lolinha is an affectionate nickname for a diminutive partner that's meant to disguise the real name—Filomena. At the time it was convenient to distort the girlfriend’s name so that no one would find out and go tell the girl’s parents.

As in times gone by, it was difficult to talk to a girl from a respected family, so serenades were a good chance for declarations of love, using disguised names, both for the girl and the unknown singer so that the parents don’t discover the relationship until the daughter asks for permission to be engaged.

Canta Ku Alma

Canta Ku Alma (Sing with your Soul) is from a beautiful poem by the greatest Cape Verdean poet, Armenio Vieira, who has been awarded the Camões Prize (a premier Portuguese language literary prize). Paulino Vieira set the poem to music that gave us this beautiful song.

It is the perfect portrait of daily life of Cape Verdeans, who, due to pressures of droughts and famines, are forced to leave their land to cross the sea—going to São Tomé, Angola, Portugal, Holland, France, the United States, Argentina, Mozambique, Senegal—wherever God decides.

But we don’t forget our traditions, even when things seem to be more complicated. We continue to sing with our soul and dance.

The Strings Of São Domingas is available now on Ostinato Records, check it out here.

We Out Here: The Gearbox Kissaten with Dwight Trible // 18-08-19

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