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Originally from the island of Boa Vista, Abel Lima was part of a large wave of Cape Verdean emigration to Europe in the late 60s – fleeing the political turmoil that accompanied the end of Portuguese colonial rule. Settling in Paris, he recorded several albums with ‘Les Sofas’ a multinational group featuring musicians from France, Senegal, Cameroon, Angola and Guadeloupe.
Arranged by Camerounian star Eko Roosevelt Louis, Corre Riba Corre Baxo (what goes up must come down) is taken from the 1977 album ‘Cantam nos Bida‘ and combines a rock-solid bassline with a hypnotic guitar riff.
Nos Maos – arranged by Guadeloupean pianist Roland Louis – has more of a Caribbean feel, bringing elements of Cadence in to the mix. The politically-charged lyrics – half in French and half in Portuguese – deal with European complicity in economic and social problems in the developing world
Combining the Morna and Coladera styles of Cape Verde with Jazz, Cadence, disco and West African styles, Abel Lima’s output reflected the rich mixture of musical styles and cultures that was (and still is) present in Paris. Both tracks are dancefloor classics.
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