The Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde

“In the spring of 1968, a cargo vessel set sail from Baltimore bound for Rio De Janeiro with a shipment of musical instruments from synth and keyboard manufacturers like Moog, Farfisa, Hammond and Korg. Its final destination was the EMSE Exhibition – the first major expo of electronic instruments in South America. The shipment never arrived. In these spaces, a style of music emerged that combined Cabo Verde’s tradition Mornas, Coladeras and highly danceable Funaná rhythms with a cosmic, joyous and defiant electricity. This new sound was censored by the regime and, as a result, came to define Cabo Verde’s fight for independence, which was ultimately achieved peacefully in 1975.”