Google Doodle

[Constantbee]

So, what do you call the daily image Google posts on its main page? OK, it's a 'doodle'. So, today's doodle features Cape Verdean vocalist and recording artist Cesária Évora 27 August 1941 – 17 December 2011, known as the 'Queen of Morna'. Mornas are traditional Cape Verdean folk songs, plaintiff chronicles of the country's long and bitter history of isolation, slave trade and emigration. There's also a more uptempo dance version called the coladera.

I know very little about the place (or the music), except that my hairdresser went to Cape Verde on holiday last year, which is just about typical for these parts Évora is quite a find. The voice is stunningly rich and haunting, the performances strike a fine line between Latin Jazz, though the Portuguese influence, and world music. It's possible that this is an artist I should have heard of but may have missed on R3's World Music shows. Can anybody enlighten me?

[johncorrigan]

So, what do you call the daily image Google posts on its main page? OK, it's a 'doodle'. So, today's doodle features Cape Verdean vocalist and recording artist Cesária Évora 27 August 1941 – 17 December 2011, known as the 'Queen of Morna'. Mornas are traditional Cape Verdean folk songs, plaintiff chronicles of the country's long and bitter history of isolation, slave trade and emigration. There's also a more uptempo dance version called the coladera.

I know very little about the place (or the music), except that my hairdresser went to Cape Verde on holiday last year, which is just about typical for these parts Évora is quite a find. The voice is stunningly rich and haunting, the performances strike a fine line between Latin Jazz, though the Portuguese influence, and world music. It's possible that this is an artist I should have heard of but may have missed on R3's World Music shows. Can anybody enlighten me?

One of the greats for me, Constantbee. I did notice Cesaria was being featured today. You can feel those cigs and wine in her voice. Wonderful!
Here's a favourite of mine - Sao Vicente Di Longe -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYKFK5gQDeQ

[johncorrigan]

Cesaria Evora sings Sangue de Beirona

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-5y1wOw6NQ

There are a couple of fine World Routes' programmes in the R3 archives where Dr Duran and James Parkin visited the Cape Verde Islands. Here's a link to one of them:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mrx6v

Ah! World Routes! Don't know what you've got till it's gone!

[Constantbee]

Cesaria Evora sings Sangue de Beirona

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-5y1wOw6NQ

There are a couple of fine World Routes' programmes in the R3 archives where Dr Duran and James Parkin visited the Cape Verde Islands. Here's a link to one of them:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mrx6v

Ah! World Routes! Don't know what you've got till it's gone!

Thanks for the links, John Fascinating listening and good that we can still get access to programmes made in 2011 through BBC Sounds. It's worth highlighting that some of the featured recordings of local performers in the islands are unique and so need preserving.

[johncorrigan]

Thanks for the links, John Fascinating listening and good that we can still get access to programmes made in 2011 through BBC Sounds. It's worth highlighting that some of the featured recordings of local performers in the islands are unique and so need preserving.

Totally agree, Cb, and there's a lot of fine programmes in there.

One of the more interesting and unusual records to come out of Cabo Verde Islands concerns a mysterious ship which left Baltimore in 1968 bound for Rio, disappeared from radars and a few months later was found on Sao Nicolau Island in a field, 8km from the coast. The assumption when 'cosmic dust' was found on its bow was that the ship had fallen from the sky. When they eventually opened the crates they found all manners of keyboards and other instruments which were ordered to be distributed to schools which had electricity. It was found, funnily enough, that the children who came into contact with the instruments found on the ship inherited prodigious musical capabilities with astonishing ease. From this, Analog Africa released the CD 'Space Echo' two or three years back.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/24/space-echo-mystery-behind-cosmic-sound-cabo-verde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhSLnKfBoZ0

[johncorrigan]

I notice the google doodle today is for BB King's 94th, born Riley B King on 16th Sept 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. BB is short for Beale Street Blues Boy, by the by.

https://www.google.com/?mlLightbox=1

[zola]

I notice the google doodle today is for BB King's 94th, born Riley B King on 16th Sept 1925 in Itta Bena, Mississippi. BB is short for Beale Street Blues Boy, by the by.
https://www.google.com/?mlLightbox=1

I just glanced at it initially and assumed it was Django ! Not the greatest artistic likeness but worth it for the link to the thrill.

[Jonathan]

We spent an excellent 10 days on Cape Verde a few years ago. We didn't go to Sal (where most holidaymakers go), we spent a wonderfully peaceful time on Fogo (basically a volcano with a thin strip of habitable land around the edge) and Santiago which was larger and busier but incredible. Look for images of Tarrafal beach - it's amazing.