Carmen Souza Press clipping

Carmen Souza@Latincouver.com

2011-09-28T02:44:00.000-07:00

2011-09-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Interview for North Shore New (Canada) by John Goodman

Cape Verdean musician Carmen Souza opens Capilano University's fall arts season tomorrow night with a show at the Centre for the Performing Arts.

Born in Lisbon to first generation Cape Verdean immigrants Souza bridges two worlds with a modernist perspective on folkloric roots. Her latest album, Protegid, features lyrics sung entirely in Cape Verdean Creole. Her sound has a little bit of everything influenced by genres that have gone back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean several times. Horace Silver's hard bop funk meets Cape Verde's African roots in a Lisbon café.

Currently touring North America with a trio Souza spoke to the North Shore News from California where her band had performances before heading north.

North Shore News: What's the Cape Verdean community like in Lisbon?

Carmen Souza: It's a community that's been there for years and years. My parents generation is now 60-plus and there's been a big development over generations. There are really strong relations between Portugal and Cape Verde and it's just like home with the same language. I grew up in a community like that. In my time, in the '80s, there weren't that many Cape Verdeans in the area where we lived but within the family we had that environment and culture. I grew up with both sides -- the Cape Verdean side and the European side.

North Shore News: Where were your parents from?

Carmen Souza: They are from Santo Antão, the greenest island in Cape Verde. It has a lot of big mountains and is very beautiful actually. They moved to Portugal in their early 20's -- like many Cape Verdeans they went in search of better conditions for their lives. They got married there. They spoke Creole with me and I would respond back to them in Portuguese. It was a whole big mixture. I always understood Creole because it was the language that I grew up listening to. I could understand and I could speak it. Now all of my lyrics are in Creole as well.

North Shore News: How did you get involved in music?

Carmen Souza: My parents are Christian and I went to church every Sunday listening to gospel music and Cape Verdean music. Also my father played the guitar. It was in 2001 that I met Theo Pas'cal, the musical director, who has been working with me for 10 years. He really got me into doing music and going deeper on the music side. I started to work on his projects. He was already an established musician in Portugal and he taught me a lot of things and opened my mind to a lot of things such as jazz. That's how I grew up musically.

North Shore News: Where did Theo see you perform?

Carmen Souza: I was auditioning for a gospel choir and he was the musical director at that time. I was chosen in the audition and that's where everything started. He invited me to work on several other projects that he had.

North Shore News: How do you write songs with Theo?

Carmen Souza: We compose together and it's been like this for 10 years. It's basically creating conversations between the two of us. The songs and lyrics come from what you live daily and the music is just transpiring from that. It's been a very natural process and a very comfortable environment to work with.

North Shore News: Where did you record Protegid?

Carmen Souza: Protegid was recorded in several places because we were touring at the time. We wouldn't have much time to get into a studio so we took a mobile studio with us and recorded in Canada, in France, in New York. It was so much better to record the album like that because it became really special. It had a lot of different elements from different places. That was the way. We'll record that way again. It gives the album a whole different sound with different energies and different inspirations.

North Shore News: A lot of different flavours on the record -- how was it working with all the musicians?

Carmen Souza: They had no boundaries in terms of music and we like that. And we also made sure that they all had their own personal thing on the album. We wanted them to come and show their own personal experience and their own musicality about where they were coming from. We had the pleasure to work with Omar Sosa, a great pianist from Cuba, Marc Berthoumieux, an accordion player from France, and so many others. It was a blessing.

North Shore News: Who's coming with you on tour?

Carmen Souza: We have Theo Pas'cal on bass and double bass, of course, and then we have Jonathan Idiagbonya, who is a Nigerian U.K.-based piano player -- they call him the Oscar Peterson from Africa -- and we have a Brazilian drummer, Mauricio Zottarelli, who has been in New York for quite awhile.

North Shore News: Most of the material on Protegid is original but you chose to do two covers -- "Sodade" and "Song for My Father." How did you choose those two?

Carmen Souza: "Sodade" is like the Cape Verdean hymn you know and so I decided to include the best of my roots and the best of my influences.

"Sodade" is a song that has spread around the world and everybody knows it to be Cape Verdean. You can't speak about Cape Verde and not speak about "Sodade." Horace Silver was a great pianist who inspires me a lot and he had Cape Verdean origins as well. I do "Song for My Father" and I transcribed the piano solo on his album and made lyrics in Creole dedicating the song to my father as Horace Silver dedicated to his.

North Shore News: Have you been to Vancouver before?

Carmen Souza: I played on Vancouver Island in 2006. It was a great adventure but we didn't have much time to see things so I'm looking forward to this trip.

jgoodman@nsnews.com

Finland Debut_Press

2011-09-08T03:31:00.000-07:00

‎"Carmen Souza captured the audience with the first gig in Finland...Souza vocal expression is something absolutely original...fascinating!" HI-FI

2011-05-28T11:40:00.001-07:00

REVIEW FROM CAPE VERDE

2010-11-24T02:32:00.000-08:00

CARMEN SOUZA NOV GERMAN TOUR 2011

2010-11-15T08:19:00.000-08:00

CARMEN SOUZA@WORLD MUSIC MAGAZINE(SP)

2010-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

REVIEWS SPAIN

2010-09-17T01:59:00.000-07:00

CARMEN SOUZA@LUX WOMAN & VISÃO(PT)

2010-07-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

PROTEGID REVIEW:BLITZ(PT)

2010-07-05T11:04:00.000-07:00

ELECTRIC VIBES REVIEW (USA)

2010-06-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

9/10: Curiously comfortable musical flirtations conjoining the surprising influences of west Africa’s Cape Verde with contemporary vigor and vision. The lyrics may be in Creole but her dextrous vocals dance with effortless accompaniment to the jazzy rhythms spiced with Arabic, Polish, Euro and African injections.

Review & Interview - Satellite Cafe concert (Paris)

2010-05-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

"Elle chante, puis elle parle. Sa voix enraillée se tord vers les aigus puis se radoucit vers des sons plus graves. Elle s’accompagne au piano, puis à la guitare. Lorsqu’elle n’a plus d’instrument, elle danse, souris et vit son concert avec grâce et volupté. Plus qu’une jolie musicienne en boubou bleu, Carmen Souza est une magicienne qui peut transcender un public à elle seule...A l’arrivée de son titre Afri Ka, le public se rut sur la piste de danse. Quelle ambiance ! Entre ceux qui dansent, ceux qui tapent des mains et ceux qui reprennent en cœur le refrain, on se serait presque cru en vacances au Cap Vert. Carmen Souza enchante et impressionne : pendant que le public reprend les paroles en cœur, elle interprète un duel d’arpège à la guitare avec Theo Pas’cal. Puis place à la mélancolie très axée jazzy avec son titre Sodad.Pour finir, elle interprète de nouveau Afri Ka. Elle s’adresse au public: « If you remember the words, come on »! Le public chante. Elle reprend : « Stand up people ! Come on » ! Le public se lève. Elle a manifestement des pouvoirs divins !."

A la fin du concert, nous sommes allé à la rencontre de Carmen Souza (nb : Chanteuse), assistée de Theo Pas’cal (nb : guitariste) qui ont gentiment accepté de répondre à quelques questions en anglais.

Les Zindés : Vous avez grandi au Portugal, cependant vous avez aussi des racines Cap-Verdiennes. Dans vos compositions, laquelle de ces deux origines mettez-vous le plus en avant ?
Carmen Souza : Il m’est très difficile de répondre à cette question car j’ai grandi au Portugal, mais ma famille m’a transmis une culture Cap-Verdienne. Du coup, je pioche un peu dans chaque culture et cela me permet d’élargir ma vision musicale.

Les Zindés : Ce soir, vous avez souvent alterné entre les rythmiques joyeuses et mélancoliques. Pourquoi jouer sur ces deux tableaux ?
Carmen Souza : La joie et la mélancolie sont des instants de la vie. J’aime jouer sur ces deux sentiments car je désire les faire partager à mon public, en espérant qu’il soit touché par ces émotions que l’on ressent tous au quotidien.

Les Zindés : Quels sont vos influences musicales ?
Carmen Souza : Nos créations sont un mélange de jazz et de folk, mais on y intègre aussi l’univers du gospel. J’ai grandi avec l’église qui m’a apporté le gospel et ma culture musicale m’a apporté la salsa. Puis, nous avons un guitariste portugais, un percussionniste italien et deux pianistes cubain et nigérien. Chacun apporte sa culture et à chaque fois que nous avons enregistré un album, chaque artiste avec qui nous avons collaboré a apporté sa touche personnelle. Nous avons beaucoup d’influences.

Les Zindés : Quels grands artistes vous ont inspirée ?
Carmen Souza : Il y en a énormément. Je peux citer par exemple Nina Simone, Billie Holiday et … Theo Pas’cal. Je l’ai rencontré il y a dix ans, à Lisbonne. On a commencé à composer ensemble et depuis Théo m’inspire tous les jours. (rires)

Les Zindés : Qu’est ce que vous avez pensé du concert de ce soir ?
Carmen Souza : Nous sommes très contents d’être venu à Paris. Nous avons ressentis que le public était touché par la musique afro et qu’il connaissait bien le jazz. Nous avons donc pris beaucoup de plaisir à jouer.

Les Zindés : Qu’est ce qu’on peut vous souhaiter pour l’avenir ?
Carmen Souza : Voyager et rencontrer de nouveaux lieux. Nous espérons partager notre musique le plus longtemps possible et faire de nouvelles rencontres. C’est le plus bel avenir que vous pouvez nous souhaiter.

BY Elsa Agbo at http://www.leszindeructibles.com/tag/protegid/

PROTEGID REVIEW - SEITE 6 (DE)

2010-05-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

CARMEN SOUZA FEATURE AT JAZZTHETIK

2010-05-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

SONGLINES REVIEW-UK

2010-04-28T02:50:00.000-07:00

2010-04-26T03:28:00.000-07:00

CARMEN SOUZA-TIME OUT LISBON(PT) & JORNAL DE NOTICIAS(PT)

2010-04-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

Clipping Germany-JAZZTHING // JAZZTHETIK // LEA // DOPPELPUNKT MAGAZINE // GENERAL ANZEIGER // OHRENSCHMAUCH

2010-03-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

CARMEN SOUZA AT PZC (NL) & OTHER DUTCH PRESS

2010-03-10T04:22:00.000-08:00

Muziek is missie voor Carmen Souza
door René de Dreu. dinsdag 09 maart 2010 07:34 Laatst bijgewerkt op: dinsdag 09 maart 2010 07:48

Tekstgrootte

Carmen Souza: ,,Voor mij is muziek heel geschikt om aandacht te vragen voor een minder materialistische kijk op het leven." foto Ph. Nijman
Muziek kan uit verschillende lagen bestaan. Veel musici putten daarvoor uit de muziek van andere culturen of grijpen terug op authentieke bronnen uit de eigen cultuur.

Bij de Portugese zangeres Carmen Souza (Lissabon, 1982), die morgen optreedt in Vlissingen, struikelen de lagen bijna steevast over elkaar heen. Niet zozeer door toevoegen of uitbouwen, maar eerder dankzij een heel arsenaal aan invloeden die ze vanaf haar geboorte al meekreeg.

Niet eenvoudig om daar dan nog een etiket op te plakken. Het heeft iets van wereldmuziek, latin, blues, fado en zelfs gospel. Misschien dat de associatie met jazz voor haar muziek daarom nog het meest voor de hand ligt.

Souza kreeg in Portugal een Kaapverdische opvoeding, zong in een christelijk gospelkoor en leerde er bassist Theo Pas'cal kennen die haar liet luisteren naar Afrikaanse jazz en veel soorten hedendaagse muziek. Het komt allemaal samen op haar derde, onlangs uitgebrachte cd Protegid die wereldwijd lovende kritieken ontving. De bijbehorende tournee brengt haar ook naar Nederland.

Carmen Souza ademt de muziek die ze maakt. ,,Kaapverdië is één grote verzameling aan cultuurelementen die in de muziek tot uiting komen. Vanwege mijn opvoeding, die doordrenkt was met de Kaapverdische cultuur, kreeg ik thuis in Portugal van dat alles wel wat. Mijn vader bleef die cultuur ook na zijn verhuizing naar Portugal trouw, maar had daarnaast een brede platenverzameling. Dus hoorde ik ook de muziek van onder andere Billie Holiday en Ella Fitzgerald. Het scat zingen van onder anderen Fitzgerald als een soort vocale improvisatie in de jazz ligt weer heel dichtbij de klanken van Kaapverdische- en Afrikaanse talen. Je hoeft je geen heel nieuw jargon aan te leren om daarmee dus muzikaal iets te doen, het is eerder vrij logisch dat het gebeurt.''

Zijn de twee voorgaande albums (2005 en 2008) nog vooral een uitdrukking van wereldmuziek, met Protegid (2010) wist Souza dat cultuurlabel van zich af te schudden en ontstond al tijdens de opnamen een meer universeel - deels folkachtig - afrojazzalbum. ,,De manier van opnemen heeft daar, naast een muzikale ontwikkeling en visie, een belangrijke rol bij gespeeld. We konden met muzikanten uit verschillende delen van de wereld werken. Een gemêleerd gezelschap kleurde zo de muziek in. Zo ontstond met onder anderen een Cubaanse percussionist, een Franse accordeonist een Palestijnse ud-speler de muziek die weer perfect aansluit bij de Kaapverdische filosofie.''

De basis in dat samenvallen van muzikale ingrediënten is steeds weer de stem van Carmen Souza. Ze kan die gebruiken in melodische strofen en er diepe emoties mee naar boven halen, maar ook een eigen muzikale partij van maken en omtoveren tot een instrument dat veel registers in zich herbergt. Ze zet de muziek daarmee naar haar hand en kleurt de teksten in naar haar levensvisie.

Voor Souza blijft het niet bij al die muzikale lagen. ,,Muziek zie ik als mijn missie. Met muziek is het mogelijk om ook een idee en gedachte over het leven te uiten. Alhoewel religie niet expliciet in de teksten naar voren komt, heeft het christelijke element in mijn opvoeding daar wel een stempel op gedrukt. Niet zozeer om een boodschap uit te dragen, maar meer het meegeven van hoop en liefde. Vandaar de titel Protegid (bescherming). Voor mij is muziek heel geschikt om aandacht te vragen voor een minder materialistische kijk op het leven. Muziek weerspiegelt wat er is en wat er was, maar vooral ook wat er nog allemaal mogelijk is. Dat reflecteert en inspireert.''

Carmen Souza, morgen in Arsenaaltheater in Vlissingen. Aanvang: 20.15 uur.

http://www.pzc.nl/regio/zeeland/6371303/Muziek-is-missie-voor-Carmen-Souza.ece#

INTERVIEW /REVIEW JAZZ MAGAZINE

2010-02-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

INTERVIEW AT MIXED MAGAZINE

2010-02-22T05:18:00.000-08:00

De vredesboodschap van Carmen Souza

Zangeres op tournee in Nederland met nieuwe cd op zak

‘De Kaapverdische zangeres Carmen Souza heeft het allemaal,’ schreef muziekcriticus en Mixed-redacteur Ton Maas in de Volkskrant over het concert van Souza in het Bimhuis anderhalf jaar geleden. ‘IJzersterk repertoire, een soepele en wendbare stem die moeiteloos door alle registers glijdt en een volkomen ontspannen podiumpresentatie. [...] Met enkele ontwapenende en geestige ontboezemingen over haar privé-leven weet ze een zaal binnen de kortste keren om te toveren tot een intieme huiskamer.’ En zo was het precies.

door Charlie Crooijmans

Dat was in oktober 2008. Sindsdien is er veel gebeurd: diverse tournees en nu de nieuwe cd Protegid, die ‘on the road’ werd opgenomen. Samen met haar bassist, mentor en producent Theo Pas’cal, waarmee de in Portugal geboren Souza al tien jaar samenwerkt, creëerde ze de basis van de nummers, in de Londense studio werden de pianopartijen van Victor Zamora en percussie van Sebastian Sheriff opgenomen, en de rest van de opnamen vond plaats in de mobiele studio. Souza: ‘Voor ons was het een fantastische ervaring omdat een steeds andere omgeving enorm inspireert.’

Op de cd speelt een aantal gastmusici mee, zijn die allemaal opgenomen in de mobiele studio?
‘Nee, niet allemaal. De Cubaanse pianist Omar Sosa en de Franse accordeonist Marc Bertoumieux hebben een drukbezette agenda. Ze zijn heel geroutineerd en spelen vrijwel alles wat interessant lijkt voor hen. Maar ze hebben met plezier tijd vrijgemaakt. Sosa heeft zijn partij in New York opgenomen en Bertoumieux in Parijs. De Portugese brass band Tora Tora Big Band hebben we in Portugal kunnen opnemen. En Rick Lazar in Canada.’

Hoe zijn de ritmes van Kaapverdië in jouw muziek vermengd met jazz?
‘In het nummer Magia Ca Tem is die relatie heel subtiel. Zo op de oppervlakte lijkt het een swing, maar als je goed luistert, hoor je het morna-ritme in een diepere laag bespeeld door de cajón. Eigenlijk lijken de ritmes batuke en funaná heel erg op bebop. De traditionele ritmes zijn sterk verbonden met de blues uit Amerika. In Kaapverdië zijn het ook landwerkers geweest die met precies hetzelfde gevoel werkliederen zongen. Evenals de pentatonische toonschalen en natuurlijk ook de boodschap in de liederen. Dat heeft natuurlijk te maken met de slavernij. De verbinding met Cuba is nog sterker omdat de eerste slaven die naar Cuba werden getransporteerd Kaapverdianen waren.’

In Londen heb je workshops gegeven over de relatie tussen jazz en Kaapverdische muziek?
‘Vooral voor kinderen. Het is zo leuk om te zien hoe nieuwsgierig ze zijn. Ze willen alles naspelen. Ook volwassenen stellen zich open voor de geschiedenis. Er is niet veel kennis over Kaapverdië. Vele verhalen gaan verloren. Het is zo leuk om meer te weten over een bepaalde cultuur zodat je verrassende connecties kan leggen.’

Heb je eigenlijk ooit in Kaapverdië opgetreden?
‘Nee, nog nooit! Hopelijk gaat het dit jaar gebeuren in de zomer. Het zou zo geweldig zijn om daar te zijn, om mijn roots te kunnen voelen en me te kunnen laven aan de cultuur. Op mijn achtste of negende jaar ben ik met mijn ouders voor het eerst naar Kaapverdië gegaan. Daarna ging ik nooit meer terug. Ik leef dus op herinneringen. Bij mij thuis is het net klein Kaapverdië. Ik ben zeer beschermd opgegroeid. Niet alleen was mijn opvoeding en scholing christelijk, ook de Kaapverdiaanse aard is beschermend.’

Heet de nieuwe cd daarom Protegid (‘beschermd, veilig’)?
‘Ja. Het gelijknamige lied gaat over mijn vader, die me nog altijd beschermt. Ik ben beschermd opgegroeid. Dat klinkt alsof ik heel erg verwend ben, maar dat is niet zo. Ook in de muziekwereld heb ik het geluk gehad altijd de juiste mensen te treffen. Je kunt jezelf zo verliezen als je met de verkeerde mensen werkt. Theo [Pas’cal] en mijn manager Patricia begrijpen mijn missie. En ik wil ook de mensen om mij heen en mijn publiek beschermen. Op de hoes sta ik met mijn petekind India - het vijf jaar oude dochtertje van Theo. Ze is aan mij verbonden met een doek, zoals je de Afrikaanse moeders ziet lopen met hun baby’s. Het biedt de beste bescherming. De foto staat daarom ook symbool voor Protegid.’

Ondanks dat je in het Creools zingt, vind je het heel belangrijk dat het publiek de boodschap meekrijgt.
‘Ja, ik wil er zeker van zijn dat iedereen me begrijpt. Ik spreek Engels, Frans en een beetje Duits als het moet. Tussen de muziek door vertel ik altijd waar de tekst over gaat. Het gaat meestal over de simple games of life. En dat we elkaar meer moeten beschermen.’

Waarom heb je er voor gekozen om het nummer Afri ka nogmaals op te nemen?
‘Afri ka staat inderdaad ook op de cd Verdade uit 2008. Tijdens het optreden probeer ik iedereen mee te laten zingen. En het leuke is dat er na de show altijd mensen naar me toe komen om mij het refrein voor te zingen. Aan al deze mensen wil ik een presentje geven en heb ik hem daarom nog keer op plaat gezet. Het lied belichaamt mijn persoonlijke herinneringen aan Afrika. Vandaar dat het zo staat geschreven: Afri ka staat voor Afrika Karmen - mijn naam wordt in Kaapverdië ook wel met een k geschreven.’

Hoe heb je Theo Pas’cal eigenlijk leren kennen?
‘We hebben elkaar ontmoet tijdens mijn auditie voor een gospelkoor. Theo groeide op omringd door de Kaapverdische cultuur. Zijn ouders zijn namelijk missionarissen en hebben in Lusofone landen gewerkt. Theo voelde zich altijd tot afro-muziek aangetrokken. We zijn goede vrienden geworden en hij heeft me laten luisteren naar jazz en allerlei contemporaine genres en stijlen. Hij heeft me gestimuleerd om een instrument te gaan spelen en zelf te componeren. Door veel te lezen en studeren is mijn liefde voor de muziek gaan groeien. Ik voel dat het nu mijn beurt is om muziek te dienen, elke dag.’

Hoewel je uit de gospel komt is jouw stem eerder zacht en intiem dan imposant.
‘Ik ben op zoek naar vrede. Iemand zei eens dat je elke dag 5 minuten vrede moet zoeken. Soms is dat niet gemakkelijk als het even niet meezit. Ik wil dat het publiek vrede voelt. De boodschap kan op een vredelievende manier worden overgebracht. Je hoeft het dus niet uit te schreeuwen, zoals dat soms in de gospel gebeurt. Daar worden de mensen alleen maar nerveus en verward van. Het is dan niet duidelijk waar de boodschap overgaat, namelijk over peace for all.’

http://www.mixedworldmusic.com/nieuws/newsItem.php?n01ID=7729

PROTEGID Introduction by Gerhard Kubik & Domingos Morais

2010-02-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

Introduction to CD “Protegid”
By
Gerhard Kubik

My good friend, the late Mário Ruy de Rocha Matos was perhaps Cabo Verde’s most experienced 20th century ethnomusicologist. He used to commute between Portugal, Cabo Verde and Angola in seach of archival and firld data . Members of Carmen Carmen Souza’s family may have come across him. Everywhere he had a “tio” (Uncle) who would help him in need, because Mário suffered a lot from asthma. In 1982 I was with him on a long joint fieldtrip in Malanji Province, Angola , until one night we were almost kidnapped by UNITA forces.

Many years later, in Portugal, I was walking up the hills from Manique de Baixo to Manique de Cima (West if Lisbon), to the house where Mário’s relatives used to live. I found the place deserted. Later, I learned that Mário had died from asthma.

If he were alive today, what would he say about Carmen’s music and poetry?

More than half of Cabo Verdian nationals live abroad in Portugal, but also in the United States, in Holland, Italy and Angola. Carmen Souza was born in Lisbon in 1981, within a family that used to speak Crioulo at home. This would be the language for her to write the lyrics of her songs. Her links to the past, to her childhood are thereby maintained, with whom ever she performs her music. The language with its phonetics is the strongest determinant of her art. Reinforced by the specific quality and wide range of her voice, the intonation and accents giving her music a Cabo Verdean identity. This can be checked by comparison: for example with the only song on this CD in which she sings a few lines in English: “Magia ca tem” (Passionless), Track 10.
The song is beautifully accompanied by Theo Pas’cal in bass, Sebastian Sheriff on percussion instruments and Jonathan Idiagbonya with a lengthy jazz piano solo. When Carmen switches to English with the words “Humankind has been following blind souls…” she sounds more like an American jazz singer, revealing her second identity.

In her teens in Lisbon she used to sing professionally in a Gospel Choir. After some time she became acquainted with modern jazz. Singers like Nina Simon, Ella Fitzgerald, and musicians such as Horace Silver, Keith Jarret and Joe Zawinul impressed her. Much more even she identified with Lusophone popular African music.

Before that, as a little girl, Carmen had often experienced an emotion that is described as Sodade in Crioulo. A song under this title was recorded by Cesária Évora. Now, in an arrangement by Cuban pianist Victor Zamora, using the lyrics of Amandio Cabral, Carmen presents one of her own versions on Track 7. Sodade, translated into English as “missing”, expresses a feeling which the little girl Carmen must have had many times in relation to her father who used to work at sea, and consequently was much absent from home. It is a complex emotion, somewhere between Span. “solidad” (loneliness) and Port. “solidariedade”, the feeling of belonging together in a family , community (in politics widened to mean “solidarity”).

Carmen’s thoughts about her father also come up in two more of her songs on this CD: “Protegid” (Protected), Track 5, and “Song for my Father” (Track 8). The music of “Protegid” was written by Theo Pas’cal, the lyrics by Carmen. It is a stirring declaration of allegiance to an eternal guardian, a caretaker like a father transformed into a transcendental being: “Rain comes, storm blows, freezes. There is a guardian, there is an angel always observing my step, watching me; a hand that holds me, that doesn’t allow me to give up…” In “Song for my Father” (track 8) she has rewritten a composition by Horace Silver, with a text in Crioulo about her father “qui passá tud sê vida na mar” ( who spent all his life at sea). But Father would always come back, and in spite of all the hardships he would still find time to share his joy with little girl Carmen. This song is played by what may be considered the basic cast of the present group, with Theo Pas’cal (Bass guitar etc), Carmen Souza (Voice / Rhodes solo), Jonathan Idiagbonya (Piano) and (as a guest) Sebastian Sheriff (various percussion instruments).

Carmen’s gradual rise to stardom began in 2003, when one of the best known bass guitar players in Portugal, Theo Pas’cal, spotted her talent and began to train her in the areas of composition, voice control, guitar and piano. Ever since, Carmen and Theo have been like two artistic pillars of an ensemble with changing members. Their first joint CD Ess ê nha Cabo Verde was released in 2005 and earned them an invitation to appear at the “Womad at Reading” Festival the same year. A second album was released in 2008 under the title Verdade (Truth). As a composer and producer, Theo Pas’cal has been tireless in promoting Carmen’s songs. He himself has been a musician since age 13, formed at the National Conservatory of Music Lisbon. So far, he has recorded several Cds together with Portuguese and African Artists. In addition there are two solo albums for bass: Quamundos (2001) which was the first solo record in Portugal by a bass player, and then Motive, published in 2005. Theo Pas’cal signs for the music of all of Carmen Souza’s songs, while Carmen signs for the Lyrics in Crioulo.

When my colleague and friend, Prof. Dr. Fernando Arenas, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, University of Minnesota, and I attended their concert at The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, on Friday, April 24, 2009, they presented themselves with the young Pedro Segundo, a percussionist who had studied in Lisbon and London, and with pianist Jonathan Idiagbonya, replacing the group’s Cuban pianist, Victor Zamora who was unable to travel because of visa restrictions. Fernando Arenas has invited the group to Minneapolis on the occasion of the International Symposium on Popular Music Studies which he had organized with an emphasis on “African Musics of the Portuguese and French-speaking World.” (April 23-24, 2009) .
The audience in the hall was educated and included many conference participants. Carmen and her group received a tremendous applause.
What struck me most when we met them in the dressing room was, how quiet and restrained they all they all were after the excitement of the concert, answering politely our questions. Carmen and I exchanged postal addresses. I asked Carmen about her timbre and accentuation techniques, including her moaning sounds, and her fascinating voice range, sometimes reaching down to a pitch level that sounded male.

Jonathan told me that he was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but had grown up in London where he began to play piano at age 12. His parents had come from the Bini (or Edo, ancient Benin) ethnic group. I tried a few words in Yoruba on him, without any response. He told me that he liked to play any kind of music, it all interested him, but that he had specially studied Salsa. He said that he enjoyed playing Chopin, Bach and Rachmaninov, and that he began to study jazz piano after having received a recording of Keith Jarret’s Koln concert. He said that Jarret, Oscar Peterson and Papo Lucca along with Chucho Valdes were great influences on his piano playing.

Theo Pas’cal also confirmed a strong background in Baroque music (Bach) for himself, but also in modern Jazz, with major influences being Bill Evans, Miles Davies, Charles Mingus, Keith Jarret, Art Blakey, The Yellow Jackets, Jaco Pastorius, Joe Zawinul---a long list besides general inspiration from the music of Lusophone Africa.

Since time was short we did not want to bother the musicians with too many questions after a long concert. We agreed that some of my questions would be presented to them in written form. Here some extracts with their answers:

Q. Carmen has used the term “Jazz fusion” in her spoken interventions (during the Minneapolis concert). I have the feeling that she is quite comfortable with the present developments and considers them a great opportunity.

A. Yes, I feel grateful because I’m developing my own style, every day through research, not only in music, but also through other sorts of inspiration, such as artists that I admire and who influence me. Each time I’m given an opportunity to share my music I feel happy and blessed. About the jazz fusion, I would call it more Afro from Cape Verde, with Jazz influences mainly from artists of the 1940s, 50s, 60s. I guess, my spirituality can be heard in my music and it creates a new and unique approach. I believe that brings people closer to my music.

Q. If I had an opportunity to speak more in depth with Theo, I would have asked him, how did he create the extensions of the cycle C-F-G-F taken from Cuban music in the song “Afrika” (cf. Track 2 on this CD) through harmonic substitution?

A. Cuban music is mainly based on Africa, that’s why they call it Afro-Cuban. The extensions came naturally to the ear, without giving them much thought. Theo can say, it was 95% feeling and inspiration, and only 6% technical. He considers that to be the best way to create inspired music. In Cape Verdian music you can hear a lot of Cuban influences in harmony and rhythm (6/8 bar).

Q. How was Jonathan able to paraphrase this basic cycle with so much blues tonality injected into it? Was that an extension of Salsa?

A. When we were looking for a piano player to substitute Victor Zamora (because of Visa problems), we went to a club in London and we found Jonathan, and we invited him and started rehearsing. Discussing about my roots we tried to understand Jonathan’s roots as well and also the musical styles he identified with and played. Together we choose from those styles what would fit. As a common denominator we found Afro, Blues/Jazz and Cuban music. That was what we needed, exactly.
But also, Jonathan, as he plays more with us, he starts to create his own approach in the project. Cape Verdian music is mainly based on the pentatonic scale , so that’s why in that manner it’s liked with Blues. About any improvisation, it is always a personal thing, with some guidelines. As he enters more into Carmen’s music and familiarizes himself with it, he gets more and more comfortable to express himself in his improvisational language.

Q. I feel that the direction Carmen’s music is taking is probably very much a function of how her voice, with its wide range of sounds, combines with harmonic patterns produced by the accompaniment.

A. Yes, sure, because everything is composed by us, Carmen and Theo, and the natural melody comes after the harmony, normally.
Sometimes the voice is developed through the harmony, or it can be the opposite process, melody first, then the harmony. My voice and the melodies I sing are always to be seen as an instrument.

Q. In other words, with other people in your band, the nature of your music would probably be significantly different?

A. Yes, because everyone is different, but it would never change my musical personality. My music is clear in terms of the package of messages it conveys, and nothing can alter its foundation, but a new and different environment can be created depending on the musicians we invite.

The present CD includes musicians from many different countries. Almost every song of the twelve tracks here has a slightly different cast. As compared with their previous CD Verdade (2008) this trend has intensified.

Are Carmen and Theo then going global? Fernando Arenas in his Symposium lecture in Minneapolis, April 23, 2009, suggested that there was a globalization of Cape Verdean popular music (cf. lecture title, footnote 3). However, the matter is complex. There are some groups, especially small groups, often tightly knit and never sharing their music with other performers. By contrast, some others are always ready for “Jazz sessions”. But Carmen and Theo represent a third, different case. I believe they are artists who are interested in engagement, in musical conversation, provided that their potential partners are ready first to work out with them a common language.

In that process they have also learned how deceptive the word “globalization” can be. Actually, we musicians and scientists don´t feel much of it, except that we can stand somewhere in Europe with a cellphone and contact a friend standing in a hill in Angola (provided that he finds a “network”). But if we invite him to come over, it may turn out to be impossible. In spite of all that “globalization” we see that everywhere walls and fences are going up, visibly and invisibly. Travel for some of our friends in Africa and elsewhere is highly restricted. In the 1970s and 1980s it was different. Nowadays, some African nationals, just for touching down at specific European airports to change planes, may need a transit visa (even if they will not leave the airport). Under these circumstances, it is almost impossible to organize a tour with a band whose members have different types of passports.
Carmen and Theo have learned that with reference to percussionist Paulo Rosa Martins and pianist Victor Zamora. The dialogue with others then becomes circular, a form of in-breeding between holders of European Union and/or U.S. passports.

In this CD the Carmen Souza Band consists of Carmen, Theo Pas’cal, Victor Zamora, Jonathan Idiagbonya, Pedro Segundo and Tiago Santos.
Then there is the long list of guests performers in sessions that were recorded in London, Lisbon, Toronto and New York. Eminent among the guests is Omar Sosa, pianist from Cuba who appears on the first track (1) in “M’sta Li Ma Bô” (I am here for you).
But the most unusual instrumental exploration can be found in the lament “Mara Marga” (Bitter Mara), the story of a three-year old girl who had to die because she was unwelcome on Earth, accepted neither by her mother, nor by her father. Carmen wrote the text which was then recorded, involving Adel Salameh on the Arabian/Egyptian Lute (‘ud) and Naziha Azzouz with her wailing voice.
The song takes us almost on a time-journey to the remote past when the Iberian Peninsula was still part of the Islamic World. It shows the extent to which music can be reconfigured and recreated.

Gerhard Kubik

Born in Vienna on December 10th, 1934, Gerhard Kubik is a music ethnologist from the University of Vienna, perhaps the most broadly knowledgeable and prolific of scholars on the music traditions of Africa and the Black Diaspora with over 300 articles and books and at least 25,000 field recordings of African music traditions to his credit.

http://www.afropop.org/multi/interview/ID/112/Gerhard+Kubik-2007

"This voice chooses to sing in Creole of Cape Verde, the language derived from the Portugal of the 600’s, adapted and mixed with the languages of the cultures of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Bold Choice, reckless, from who affirms that one can be a citizen of the world and continue to dream and write in the language of the emotional childhood. And it is the first revelation. The texts are dense, pregnant with life, taking full advantage of a language to be invented but that takes some writers and dedicated cultured poets. Eugenio Tavares, Baltasar Lopes and Corsino Fortes have in Carmen Souza an unexpected continuum in poetry and prose in Creole.
The result is a fluent musical speech, marked by various influences and controlled by the virtuosity of the musicians. There is a clear desire not to use the easy and stereotypical effect. And the balance of the arrangements for the instruments present in each track shows the care and art of these great professionals.
But it is the voice that is perhaps the most unique attribute of these songs. Expressive, able to tell these wonderful texts without losing a single syllable and giving them an impressive intensity. The timbre records show domination and sensitivity that goes through states of mind difficult to translate musically. Even when singing in English in “Magia ca tem" she carries us into the intimate universe of the great North American interpreters.
Authors and performers of Cape Verde are recognized for their contribution to the renewal of the world music scene. They win now this unexpected accession of an author and artist who innovates, opens new horizons and breaks with easy paths already crossed."

(PT)"Esta voz opta por cantar em crioulo de Cabo Verde, essa língua franca derivada do português de seiscentos, adaptado e miscigenado com as línguas dos povos de África, Ásia e América Latina. Escolha arrojada, temerária, que afirma sem hesitação que se pode ser cidadã do Mundo continuando a sonhar e a escrever na língua afectiva da infância. E é a primeira revelação. Os textos são densos, prenhes de vida, tirando todo o partido de uma língua por inventar mas que tem em alguns escritores e poetas cultores dedicados. Eugénio Tavares, Baltasar Lopes e Corsino Fortes têm em Carmen Souza uma inesperada continuadora na poesia e prosa em crioulo.
A resultante é um discurso musical fluente, marcado por diversas influências e pelo virtuosismo controlado dos músicos. É patente a preocupação em não recorrer ao efeito fácil e estereotipado. E o equilíbrio dos arranjos para os instrumentos presentes em cada faixa revela o cuidado e a arte destes excelentes profissionais.
Mas é na Voz que reside talvez o mais original atributo destas músicas. Expressiva, capaz de dizer estes belíssimos textos sem que se perca uma única sílaba e dando-lhes uma intensidade impressionante. Os registos tímbricos revelam domínio e sensibilidade que passa por estados de alma de difícil tradução musical. Mesmo quando em “Magia ca tem” nos canta em Inglês transportando-nos para os universos intimistas das grandes intérpretes norte americanas.
Autores e intérpretes de Cabo Verde são reconhecidos pelo seu contributo para a renovação da cena musical mundial. Ganham agora esta inesperada adesão de uma autora e intérprete que inova, abre novos horizontes e rompe com a facilidade de caminhos já percorridos."

DOMINGOS MORAIS, Portuguese Ethnomusicologist

Carmen Souza at Jazz Magazine

2009-05-31T02:48:00.001-07:00

Carmen Souza, A Semana, Entrevista

2009-05-31T02:25:00.000-07:00

Cantora, compositora, senhora do seu destino musical que passou por abandonar Lisboa, onde nasceu há 26 anos, e ir viver para Londres, um dos centros da música e do mundo. Filha de emigrantes cabo-verdianos, desde cedo que o crioulo das canções lhe tem pautado o ritmo da vida. Depois de “Ess é nha Cabo Verde”, regressa com “Verdade”, tão sua que não a deixa mentir. O kriolidadi apresenta-lhe a cantora luso-caboverdiana que está a começar a conquistar a Europa.
Por: Pedro Cativelos, "SemanaOnline"

asemanaonline - Fale-me desta sua “Verdade”. Como a começou a imaginar, como decorreu o processo de criação...

Cármen Souza - Toda a minha música, tal como a mensagem que eu quero transmitir, vêm de um evoluir diário, desde o contacto que tenho com os meus instrumentos musicais, como o contacto com a vida e todo os desafios que aparecem e a que me proponho todos os dias.
Por isso, não foi um acaso o facto de o álbum se chamar “Verdade”, a procura do aperfeiçoamento naquilo que faço e pela verdade daquilo que sou e das minhas origens e influências é uma tarefa feita diariamente. E é-me perfeitamente natural: quando se tem a exacta noção daquilo que queremos e principalmente do que não queremos, tudo se torna mais fácil.
Foi complicado todo o processo, da criação à gravação?O processo de gravação é sempre o expoente de todo este acumular de emoções. Tenho o privilégio de ter acesso a um estúdio próprio, e isso torna tudo mais fluído, posso gravar à hora que quero, demorar o tempo que precisar e isso é bom, porque nem sempre a inspiração aparece naquelas horas marcadas de aluguer de estúdio... Tenho também a sorte e o privilégio de trabalhar com o Theo Pascal, que tem sido um grande amigo, mentor, produtor, director musical, com quem tenho um grande à-vontade a trabalhar, e assim o processo de composição/gravação torna-se muito natural, porque a comunicação é rápida e eficaz e as letras e as notas musicais complementam-se e vão evoluindo até chegar à obra final ou peça.
Depois, passada para o público durante os concertos...A apresentação ao vivo é a fase em que me encontro neste momento, é a execução num “take” de tudo aquilo que está no disco, existe sempre a evolução em termos de arranjo, em que adicionamos outras cores, ou às vezes até tiramos cores para que a verdadeira essência de cada música transpareça, “less is more” como costumamos dizer. Mas eu sinto que a execução dos temas ao vivo, é o alicerçar e o desenvolver do tema em termos musicais e de mensagem, porque a partir dali podemos dar a cada tema uma roupagem completamente diferente. O interessante é perceber que a mensagem e os temas tocam as pessoas de maneiras completamente distintas.

Como estão a correr as coisas, neste aspecto?

As apresentações ao público têm corrido muito bem. A aceitação e o “feedback” têm sido excelentes, desde a Coreia do Sul, Inglaterra, Argélia, Irlanda, Canadá... Normalmente o que as pessoas me dizem é que gostam muito desta nova sonoridade, por ser original e fresca... e que gostam de ouvir de olhos fechados, transportando-os para Cabo Verde.
As críticas de imprensa também têm sido muito boas e encorajadoras. Tudo tem sido feito com muita calma e naturalidade, “uma casa não se faz num dia”. Por isso levo todos estes “feedbacks” como forma de crescimento e força para continuar.
Em Outubro, vou ter a oportunidade de tocar em Amesterdão e Roterdão (13 e 14 desse mês, respectivamente), que é um país onde a comunidade cabo-verdiana é muito forte, e espero poder sentir o calor de toda esta comunidade nos concertos, por isso fica já o convite a todos.

Como é a sua relação com Portugal e Cabo Verde?

Portugal é o país onde nasci e cresci, por isso tenho muitos laços não só familiares visto que a minha família está lá, muitas vezes tenho saudades do ambiente, das pessoas... Cabo Verde é o país a que sinto sempre a ligação por herança dos meus pais, pela música que me influencia, pela simplicidade, pela musicalidade do crioulo..., pelas imagens que me acompanham de todo o ambiente cabo-verdiano, a paz que me trazem essas imagens fazem-me querer lá voltar.

Londres torna a vida mais fácil, para um músico?

Eu não ando propriamente à procura de uma vida fácil, e a vida de músico, ao contrário do que muitos possam pensar, não é a vida mais fácil do mundo, porque trabalhamos muito com emoções ao mais alto nível e isso, às vezes vaza-nos um pouco. Mas Londres transporta-me para várias culturas, pela sua diversidade populacional, e transporta-me também para a cultura através da música, teatro, dança. É uma cidade que tem muita vida, e isso inspira-me, mas gosto de sentir toda essa vivacidade e depois recolher-me para a paz e o sossego.
Por isso, respondendo à pergunta, a vida de músico é facilitada devido a toda esta energia à volta da cultura, mas não é fácil a nível de mercado devido exactamente à diversidade de projectos que nascem aqui, todos os dias, e que lutam pelo seu lugar e pela exposição.

Gostaria de apresentar o seu espectáculo em Cabo Verde?

É obvio que sim, teria o maior prazer em fazê-lo. Cabo Verde faz parte de mim, faz parte da minha música. Por isso teria todo o gosto.

Como observa o aparecimento de novos nomes, como o seu, Tcheka ou o de Mayra Andrade, por exemplo, na nova música cabo-verdiana exportada para o mundo?

Eu acho que Cabo Verde e toda a sua cultura estão muito bem representados no mundo. A grande embaixatriz e responsável por isto é Cesária Évora, que levou a música cabo-verdiana pela primeira vez ao mundo. Mas esta nova geração traz frescura, traz bons compositores e músicos como Tcheka, que já tive a oportunidade de ver ao vivo, e também a Mayra, que ganhou o prémio da BBC representando a música cabo-verdiana no que de melhor tem.

E a relação desta explosão de novos nomes, com os históricos, como Cesária Évora, Bana, Titina ou Tito Paris?

Todos estes artistas históricos são a base que sempre sustentará a música cabo-verdiana, porque é a eles que todos nós, da nova geração, vamos buscar a inspiração e o autenticismo da música do nosso país.

O que é para si, a verdadeira música de Cabo Verde?

A música para ser verdadeira para os outros tem de a ser também para nós que a compomos e a tornamos viva. A verdadeira música de Cabo Verde é aquela que transporta as pessoas para o país sem elas sequer saberem onde é ou terem lá estado. A música de Cabo verde transporta o peso de toda a história e cultura, mas transporta também a simplicidade, e é memorável a capacidade de transmitir tanta história de uma maneira tão simples e tão sensível.

Qual é o seu maior sonho, de vida e de carreira?

Não me considero uma pessoa de sonhos, acho que sou mais de desafios, o meu grande desafio para o resto da minha vida, se Deus assim o permitir, é a música, que é para mim a parte mais importante, porque é através dela que me exprimo, é através dela que me sinto realizada, e sinto-me a fazer algo de bom não só para mim mas para outros, porque considero que esta é a minha missão de vida, e com ela posso ajudar outros porque a música tem o poder de curar, tocar, mover pessoas. E o que eu sinto é que quero marcar a diferença de alguma maneira, com este dom que considero divino.
Eu conheci um grande músico chamado Jay Corre, com quem tive o prazer de gravar neste álbum e me disse que, apenas, agora com 85 anos é que percebeu realmente o que é a música e o que é a vida. Por isso, sinto que a minha missão está ainda no início e tenho ainda uma vida toda pela frente...

Onde gostaria de poder chegar com a sua música?

As minhas metas são diárias, mas quero chegar ao fim dos meus dias e pensar como o Jay (que já tocou com os mais variados artistas conceituados: Ella fitzgerald, Buddy rich, já fez tours mundiais...), que mesmo quase no fim da meta ainda tenho muito para dar, ainda tenho muito para ver, descobrir...se este sentimento pela vida continuar comigo até ao resto dos meus dias, a música e o mundo estarão abertos para mim. Porque a fonte de inspiração nunca irá secar!

Pedia-lhe, algumas palavras para os leitores de A Semana.

Acho que é muito bom os cabo-verdianos espalhados pelo mundo terem acesso à informação da sua terra...por isso quero desejar muito sucesso ao A Semana. A todos os leitores desejo muita paz e sucesso para os caminhos que escolherem e que nunca percam a Verdade da sua essência.

2008-01-11T11:25:00.000-08:00

CARMEN SOUZA PERSONAL STATEMENT

“In the search of my real and true identity I go through all that surrounds me and all that influences me, and the main thought that crosses my mind is: “No matter what I find, I have to be true to myself, to what I believe, to what I like and the person that I want to become, simple and true. I have so much influence that I consider myself a being from the world, that won’t fit in any stereotype or culture, because I was born in between cultures...and honestly I have no intention of becoming a purist in any way , in any style, that wouldn’t be true to myself and I would be forcing something unnatural. I believe that the world is so mixed everywhere in any corner that either you close yourself to all that is happening around you, or you just let all the influences lead you and flow within you, be creative and invent a new sound that says the most things about yourself...without losing your roots.I guess what I mean is that I don’t want to be one more...I want to be Me, with a testimony to share that can reach, touch or even change lives...I believe that is my mission!”

Carmen Souza speaks about her new album "Verdade/Truth" to Patrícia Pas'cal:

What do you mean with the title 'Verdade' that means truth?

C.S: The title 'Verdade' or 'Truth' has a very special meaning to me because, I see life as a long path that I cross and in the way I find several situations that either help me reach another and higher level or they make me go back or stop, or look back, or fall, or trip…and in all of these happenings, the only thing that I ask God is to keep my inner self true to Him and to His values and to somehow keep me “pure”. All experiences in my life, good or bad, will make me more mature, and will make me grow, and give me more stories about myself, but the things in which I believe and that I know to be true, which for me is God and all the values and principles that were given to me since the beginning, I want to keep them, and evolute with them…because I believe that, it is what and Who has brought me to where I am now.

Carmen what are the main differences between "Ess nha cabo verde" and this second album "Verdade"?

Both, ‘Ess ê nha Cabo Verde’ and ‘Verdade’ follow an acoustic and simple arrangement and instrumentation, but ‘Verdade’ is respecting more the trio, which is me in the guitar, piano /Wurlitzer and voice, Theo Pas’cal bass, double bass and percussion, and a percussionist/drummer. In this way not only the arrangements have more space and complement each other, but also the message is more hearable and understandable.In terms of the essence of the album, “Verdade” is even more connected to what I live and experience. I’m no longer speaking about ancient capeverdean stories that I heard of, I’m talking about my real life, what I believe, my vision of the world…and what it’s becoming and also what I’m becoming as a person and as an artist. I can say that I’m becoming more aware in life and in music, more true to what I am, more musician. It’s always an evolution process and I hope it will be so until my last days. The first album was the beginning of an experience and I followed more of my ancestors music and message, this second album ‘Verdade’ is more of me, I’m not disregarding anything, but I let music and the message within me take the lead.

How was the process of writing the lyrics and what they say about you?

C.S: The process of writing lyrics is always retrospective and introspective. Normally I Just hear what the song has to tell me when it is still in construction and together with the melody I just write it.Not always the song speaks so quickly to me, or the right words just vanish from my head, so it can be a bit frustrating sometimes…it’s not always the same process.It’s also about emotional feelings that I am dealing with when I write so this can be a very hard job in terms of energy, emotion….I know that I have a mission as not only a musician that simply sings songs, but I feel that I have a mission as a messenger, so my preoccupation is that I don’t speak about what everybody else does (superficial things), but I speak about profound and strong, I can say that I go the extra mile with the subjects. And these subjects that evolve on my mind or throughout conversations, they are so strong and gain force when they complemented with the song. So if you read the lyrics you will see that what I’m saying is what is real about me , experiences, daily life in which I try to really understand the purpose of everything and specially my own purpose in the world.