You will hear recordings we made of 26-year-old Carmen Souza on 13 October in the Bimhuis and on 16 November in the Zuidpleintheater in Rotterdam
Carmen Souza (1981) was born in Lisbon within a Christian family from Cape Verde. Very early she experienced the "Sodade" feeling of missing someone with the long absence of her father due to his work at sea. She grew up in a mixed language environment of Creole, the Cape Verde dialect her parents spoke at home, and Portuguese, always surroundd by the Cape Verdean way of life.
Her first album ‘Ess ê nha Cabo verde’ was released in 2005 and her performance at the WOMAD Festival that same year led to her international breakthrough. On ‘Verdade’, her second album (2008), Carmen Souza sings an exciting and melodically vibrant repertoire in Creole. Verdade means truth, which is "an excellent title that explains the incredible authenticity of her music", according to Matt Forss from the Inside World Music (USA).
The singer has given an entirely new and unique sound to the Cape Verdean dialect of her ancestors, Creole, in a mix of African and Cape Verdean traditional rhythms with influences from contemporary jazz. It resulted in a number of beautiful, poignant and inspiring songs in a very intimate and acoustic setting. Since then she has also wowed the crowds on larger stages, leaving a trail of deadly captivating performances with her unmistakably female but dark, deep and earthy voice.
Recording technique: Bimhuis & Cees Sterrenburg
Production: Rolf Buijs
