Simentera

The musical traditions of Cape Verde are extended through the original songs of the nine-piece ensemble Simientra. Led by six-stringed guitar, harmonica, accordion, and percussion player, as well as soprano singer and songwriter Mario Lucio Sousa, the group has added a new dimension to the musical traditions of their homeland. While their songs reflect on potentially depressing issues, the joviality of their music is evident. In a late-'90s interview, Sousa explained, "We are melancholic but it is a happy melancholy. We sing with our souls but our singing is not sad. If it inv...