Cape Verde

Cape Verde

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Musical interlude

I've had some times in the past few months when I've needed to slow myself down and remind myself that everything is ok. It is, when I think about it, but between work and the complexities of maintaining a social life in a foreign country, as well as the normal ebb, flow and occasional white water rapids in life, sometimes I begin to think it's not. When I need a quick fix I listen to music, and I wanted to share some, the words of which you may not be able to understand, but I think the appreciation of this artist comes from a place beyond language.

Sara Tavares is my favorite "Cape Verdean" musician. I use quotation marks because she's actually second-generation Portuguese. She's of Cape Verdean descent, but she was born and raised in Portugal. Her parents abandoned her at a young age to seek better lives for themselves and she was taken in by a family in Portugal. I've heard rumors around Fogo that she didn't speak Kriolu as a child, but wanted to relate to the culture that she never knew and learned the language to incorporate into her music.

She's a little example of the spirit's ability to persevere through hardship. Enjoy: