The Cape Verde islands are known for the sorrowful songs of the late “barefoot diva” Cesária Évora, but the archipelago has spawned more sprightly genres, cross-pollinating its African and Portuguese ancestries. Drawn from the early 1980s, this compilation weaves an intriguing story in which traditional dances and instruments, especially accordion, acquired a futuristic approach bristling with guitars and synths. One reason for the electronic infusion was a 1968 shipwreck loaded with keyboards (Rhodes, Farfisa and the like), which were distributed to schools – hence the full subtitle of the compilation, The Mystery Behind the Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed. The result was a generation of synth-friendly musicians and a sound that mixed African melody with rhythms that were by turns loping and frenetic. Classy pop archaeology.
