Batuque
- Dance
- Music
Of the genres that have reached us, batuque probably provides the most original testimony to the musical expression of the Cape Verdeans. It comes from the cultures of the African tribes that were the origin of the Creole nation being moulded. Although it was merely tolerated by the colonial elites, as it was considered “common”, batuque was closely linked to family celebrations of marriage and baptism. It played an important role as a channel of emotional and physical expression of creative vitality and social construction over 5 centuries of nation building. Batuque is a feminine musical genre, carried out by groups of women who sit, mark the rhythm by beating pads held in their laps and sing, while others clap and others turn in a frenetic dance. The climax of the dance comes with the chabeta and da cu torno. The dancers just move their feet, to make their buttocks jiggle intensely, while they slowly rotate, or slowly crouch down until their knees are completely bent, before standing up again in a continuous and slow motion. When the spectacle is carried out like this, it tends to transmit an atmosphere of mysticism to the participating community, in which there are sometimes incidents of trance. Every musical phrase of the batuque is started by a soloist and taken up by the group, and it can evolve in two moments: the sambuna (with merely rhythmic and playful themes) and the finaçon (involving improvisation on existential themes, referring to people who are indicated as a positive or negative example).
It should be noted that batuque was accompanied by various instruments in the 19th century, including flutes, guitars and cimboas.
A widespread awareness of the deep authenticity of this musical genre led to a proliferation of groups of young batuque players, particularly on the island of Santiago, which made it spread from the rural areas, to which it had traditionally been confined.
Nha Nácia Gomi (Inácia Gomes), a traditional batuque artist, recorded a CD which will remain as a reminder of the oldest generations of batuque artists. Others, such as Nha Bibinha Cabral or Nha Guida Mendi, have already passed on, but other groups of young women, such as Pó di Terra or Terrero have emerged to provide a link to the next generations and certainly enrich this genre of authentic musical culture.
The composer Orlando Pantera, who died in 2001 at the age of just 30, left a vast opus, allowing the revitalisation of batuque, which has been interpreted by vibrant artists such as Lura, Tcheka or Mayra Andrade.
Of the genres that have reached us, batuque probably provides the most original testimony to the musical expression of the Cape Verdeans. It comes from the cultures of the African tribes that were the origin of the Creole nation being moulded. Although it was merely tolerated by the colonial elites, as it was considered “common”, batuque was closely linked to family celebrations of marriage and baptism. It played an important role as a channel of emotional and physical expression of creative vitality and social construction over 5 centuries of nation building. Batuque is a feminine musical genre, carried out by groups of women who sit, mark the rhythm by beating pads held in their laps and sing, while others clap and others turn in a frenetic dance. The climax of the dance comes with the chabeta and da cu torno. The dancers just move their feet, to make their buttocks jiggle intensely, while they slowly rotate, or slowly crouch down until their knees are completely bent, before standing up again in a continuous and slow motion. When the spectacle is carried out like this, it tends to transmit an atmosphere of mysticism to the participating community, in which there are sometimes incidents of trance. Every musical phrase of the batuque is started by a soloist and taken up by the group, and it can evolve in two moments: the sambuna (with merely rhythmic and playful themes) and the finaçon (involving improvisation on existential themes, referring to people who are indicated as a positive or negative example).
It should be noted that batuque was accompanied by various instruments in the 19th century, including flutes, guitars and cimboas.
A widespread awareness of the deep authenticity of this musical genre led to a proliferation of groups of young batuque players, particularly on the island of Santiago, which made it spread from the rural areas, to which it had traditionally been confined.
Nha Nácia Gomi (Inácia Gomes), a traditional batuque artist, recorded a CD which will remain as a reminder of the oldest generations of batuque artists. Others, such as Nha Bibinha Cabral or Nha Guida Mendi, have already passed on, but other groups of young women, such as Pó di Terra or Terrero have emerged to provide a link to the next generations and certainly enrich this genre of authentic musical culture.
The composer Orlando Pantera, who died in 2001 at the age of just 30, left a vast opus, allowing the revitalisation of batuque, which has been interpreted by vibrant artists such as Lura, Tcheka or Mayra Andrade.
