Search - Various Artists :: Spirit of Cape Verde

This second of the Tinder label's Cape Verde collections starts out predictably with a morna by the inimitable Cesaria Evora. Familiar names abound, like Tito Paris, Maria Alice, and the island's latest pop diva Fantcha, as well as local superstars Simentera (whose single track here shows how much they deserve even wider recognition), but there are surprises to be had as well. From the lesser-known column we get treated to the raw and rootsy Voz de Cabo Verde, who sound like a Portuguese brass band on parade in New Orleans. These scant two minutes are almost worth the entire price of the record. There are jazzy grooves from Mobafuco, some flamenco-inspired guitar riffs from Mindel Band, and full-blown gypsies-in-the-Atlantic pop from Katchupa Rica. The very Brazilian ensemble of Luis Morais offers clarinet, cavaquinhos, percussion, and bass in a lively dance tune. The album follows the folk-pop of the island in all its variety, but what it lacks is some of the more truly traditional sounds to round out the view. --Louis Gibson