Lucibela will unveil “Moda Antiga“, her third album, on November 8, 2024, through Lusafrica / Sony. This opus will be presented on Friday, November 15, 2024, at the Café de la Danse stage during a special launch concert.
The single “Lembra Tempo“ will be available starting November 4, 2024, on all platforms.
This track, written and composed by the singer, describes the festive gatherings of yesteryear, the lively street dances of São Vicente held every weekend, the “rabecada,” where the mornas, coladeiras, and other mazurkas were danced until dawn.
Moda Antiga through Lucibela’s eyes:
“Moda Antiga” celebrates Cape Verde’s musical heritage. It’s my third album and, as its name suggests, it’s a traditional album. It includes many old compositions but also some original songs that stay true to our tradition. My inspiration comes from various artists (singers, composers, musicians…) that I’ve always listened to, those who have been part of my journey so far, and those I interact with daily, helping me better understand our traditions.
— Lucibela
Lucibela’s biography:
After releasing Amdjer in 2022, her last opus in tribute to Cape Verdean women, the delightful Lucibela embarks on a new journey, a new mission… In this third album, Moda Antiga (“In the Old Fashioned Way“), she, often seen as a worthy heir to Cesaria Evora, aims to bring back to the forefront the vibrant traditions of her small country, played here with the faithful accents and rhythms of her predecessors.
Like many young women of her generation in Cape Verde, 38-year-old Lucibela listens to hip-hop, electro, kizomba, the rich soundtracks that fill the daily life of the youth in the archipelago, from collective taxis to nightclubs and festivals. However, she believes it’s crucial, even urgent, to preserve the island’s roots — mornas, coladeiras — an intangible heritage “more valued abroad than on our own soil,” she laments, before emphasizing: “We don’t have conservatories or music schools to ensure the protection and transmission of these traditions to the next generations… I feel it’s my duty to do so.”
Thus, this album stands as a festive and generous declaration of love to this national treasure, taking the form of a beautiful collection of popular and traditional songs, Cape Verdean myths, and stories, often composed by iconic figures (Anu Nobu, Manuel de Novas, Mario Lucio, Zézé di nha Reinalda…).
To bring them to life, she gathered, before finalizing the project in Holland and France, a group of legendary musicians at the Lusafrica studio in Mindelo, all guardians of these musical styles, led and arranged by the excellent Toy Vieira. This includes the essential Bau (guitar) and Hernani Almeida (guitar/sound engineer), as well as Totinho, the aptly named “saxophonist of the morna” and longtime collaborator of Cesaria Evora, who tragically passed away last July.
So, what can be expected from this album of “classics,” carried by Lucibela’s enchanting voice, both smooth and powerful? (…)
