Funaná
- Dance
- Music
Some students of Cape Verdean music believe that this musical genre is particularly old and representative of the secret feelings of the people, but the oldest memories of the funaná go back to the badju gaita (baile de gaita - concertina ball) form, in which various genres such as samba, waltz or mazurca were accompanied by the concertina (known as the “gaita”), in inland areas of Santiago, although unfortunately no recording remains.
On the island of Fogo, the same combination of musical genres gave rise to the talaia-baxo, for which Minó di Mamá was the principal exponent, and a variant of the original mazurca was preserved under the name of rabolo.
The famous “rabeca” (fiddle) player, Travadinha, as well as Nhô Kzick and the great performer Bau, also provide excellent examples of the creolisation of music from outside Cape Verde.
The name funaná is thought to have originated from a couple that became famous in Santiago due to their expertise at dancing this music and playing the instruments mentioned above. Their names were Funa (he played concertina) and Naná (she played the “ferrinho” - a scraped ideophone)…
In the 1980’s, the group Bulimundo popularised the funaná in an electronic version, and some more recent groups, such as Ferro Gaita, have restored the central importance of the concertina and the ferro (a metal bar scraped with another piece of metal, similar to a reco-reco or guiro), without abandoning the bass, guitar and drum kit.
However old, it is clear that this musical genre may well be one of the most authentic in Cape Verde, along with the morna and coladeira, because of its unique rhythm, the backbeat, and its markedly popular origin. It is hard to describe the human richness of being in rural interior of Santiago by the light of the moon and a podogó, intoxicated by the scents and sounds of nature, elevated to an earthly dimension by the enchanting music of the concertina. At the same time the people around you are almost drunk on the swinging rhythm, and concentrating almost to a metaphysical extent on the warmth of the atmosphere.
Some students of Cape Verdean music believe that this musical genre is particularly old and representative of the secret feelings of the people, but the oldest memories of the funaná go back to the badju gaita (baile de gaita - concertina ball) form, in which various genres such as samba, waltz or mazurca were accompanied by the concertina (known as the “gaita”), in inland areas of Santiago, although unfortunately no recording remains.
On the island of Fogo, the same combination of musical genres gave rise to the talaia-baxo, for which Minó di Mamá was the principal exponent, and a variant of the original mazurca was preserved under the name of rabolo.
The famous “rabeca” (fiddle) player, Travadinha, as well as Nhô Kzick and the great performer Bau, also provide excellent examples of the creolisation of music from outside Cape Verde.
The name funaná is thought to have originated from a couple that became famous in Santiago due to their expertise at dancing this music and playing the instruments mentioned above. Their names were Funa (he played concertina) and Naná (she played the “ferrinho” - a scraped ideophone)…
In the 1980’s, the group Bulimundo popularised the funaná in an electronic version, and some more recent groups, such as Ferro Gaita, have restored the central importance of the concertina and the ferro (a metal bar scraped with another piece of metal, similar to a reco-reco or guiro), without abandoning the bass, guitar and drum kit.
However old, it is clear that this musical genre may well be one of the most authentic in Cape Verde, along with the morna and coladeira, because of its unique rhythm, the backbeat, and its markedly popular origin. It is hard to describe the human richness of being in rural interior of Santiago by the light of the moon and a podogó, intoxicated by the scents and sounds of nature, elevated to an earthly dimension by the enchanting music of the concertina. At the same time the people around you are almost drunk on the swinging rhythm, and concentrating almost to a metaphysical extent on the warmth of the atmosphere.
Armando Ferreira - 2011 -
