Various - Space Echo: The Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde

The Guardian 60

(Analog Africa)

The Cape Verde islands are known for the sorrowful songs of the late “barefoot diva” Cesária Évora, but the archipelago has spawned more sprightly genres, cross-pollinating its African and Portuguese ancestries. Drawn from the early 1980s, this compilation weaves an intriguing story in which traditional dances and instruments, especially accordion, acquired a futuristic approach bristling with guitars and synths. One reason for the electronic infusion was a 1968 shipwreck loaded with keyboards (Rhodes, Farfisa and the like), which were distributed to schools – hence the full subtitle of the compilation, The Mystery Behind the Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed. The result was a generation of synth-friendly musicians and a sound that mixed African melody with rhythms that were by turns loping and frenetic. Classy pop archaeology.