Lura

Lura
Born: 1975, Lisbon, Portugal

Luria, di korpu ku alma

The Cape Verde islands, the Atlantic archipelago located 300 miles off the coast of Senegal were put on the musical map by the incomparable vocalist Cesária Evora. Cesária, with her expressive style has become a world ambassador of Cape Verde with her renditions of the morna, one of Cape Verde’s national treasures. Her phenomenal success has paved the way for a new generation of artists that represent a post-colonial shift in the music produced by Cape Verdean artists in Cape Verde and in the Cape Verdean diaspora. One of these artists is Lura, a daughter of Cape Verdean parents, born in Lisbon in 1975, the year of Cape Verdean independence from Portugal.

While Cesária has mastered and even come to symbolize the morna and classic Cape Verdean style, Lura aims to shine light on the musical traditions of the island of Santiago, the most African island of Cape Verde and the place of her father’s birth. The island of Santiago, home to the capital, Praia, adds to the national repertoire the percussive batuku, the accordion driven funana and tabanka, styles that have been cultivated for generations despite systematic repression by the colonial government (who had outlawed the drums) who regarded them as crude, lewd and overly sexual. Batuku was originally performed by women who creatively used the pano (cloth) that they weaved to form a tightly wrapped ball called a tchabeta that is placed between the legs and used as a drum. The women of Santiago get together in a circle and play the tchabeta and sing about their lives, struggles and community. During this performance one woman takes the lead by placing a cloth strip (pano) around her hips and enters the middle of the circle to sing and dance the torno, which is characterized by its foot and hip movements. While the leader sings and dances, the circle members play their tchabetas in polyrhythmic patterns and respond to the singer’s calls.

It is this style, amongst others like funana and tabanka that Lura has chosen to incorporate into her music and to bring to the national stage. Born and raised in Lisbon, Lura got her break into the music business when she wrote and recorded Nha Vida (My Life) in 1996. The success of the title song led to an invitation to participate in the compilation Onda Sonhora Red Hot + Lisbon in 1997. Following this project, Lura provided background vocals for Cesária Evora, Angolan singers Carlos Burity and Bonga and she performed in Paris at the “Noite de Cabo Verde no Zenith” alongside famed Cape Verdean artists such as Cesária Evora, Bau, Luis Morais, Ildo Lobo, Maria Alice, Teófilo Chantre, Ferro Gaita and Biús. In 2002 Lura recorded her second album In Love, in which she composed seven songs and worked with Kimany Marley, son of Bob. Following the success of her first two CD’s, Lura toured the United States with Cesária Evora in 2004. This year (2005) she released Di Korpu Ku Alma (Of Body and Soul) (Escondida), which showcases her strong vocal talents, as well as a fine roster of Cape Verdean musicians and composers. As the title suggests, Lura convincingly transmits the spirit of her lyrics and music through a variety of classical Cape Verdean music forms, such as the morna and coladeira, as well as the previously hidden music and culture of Santiago, her ancestral homeland.

This latest disc features four songs by Orlando Pantera, a widely known and respected Cape Verdean composer who died prematurely without ever meeting Lura. These songs highlight the batuku style in sophisticated and modern arrangements while their lyrics comment on the everyday lives of Cape Verdean people. Also included are several tracks written by Lura, including the morna “Tem Um Hora Pa Tud” (There Is Time for Everything), inspired by Cesária Evora. 2005 also brought Lura’s first world tour, an opportunity for her to share her voice, style and grace and to be heralded as the biggest Cape Verdean singer since Cesária. She has performed sold-out shows in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Hartford, and Boston. Born in the same year as the Republic of Cape Verde, Lura, like the nation is embracing her roots and discovering all that was formerly hidden. As she continues on her musical journey, she uses her emotive style as a vehicle to take us along for the ride.

Contributed by: Marcy S. DePina