Morna (music)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morna is a genre of Cape Verdean music, related to Portuguese fado, Brazilian modinha, Argentinian tango, and Angolan lament. Lyrics are usually in Cape Verdean Creole, and instrumentation often includes cavaquinho, clarinet, accordion, violin, piano, and guitar. Morna is often compared to the blues; there is little research on the relationship between the genres, though there are interesting similarities and significant cultural connections between Cape Verde and the United States. The word morna is of disputed etymology - one suggestion is that it comes from the English verb "to mourn." Morna is widely considered the national music of Cape Verde.
The best known morna singer is Cesária Évora from São Vicente Island, who sings primarily in Cape Verdean Creole. The morna "Sodade" was her first hit, the first hit for a non-French song in France, and marked the beginning of worldwide fame for morna. The Portuguese term saudade is complex and infamously difficult to translate, related to homesickness, nostalgia, longing, sadness, and regret. The expression of "sodade" is integral to Cape Verdean music.
The first major morna composers and performers were Manel d'Novas, Amandio Cabral (composer of "Sodade") and B. Leza (Cesária Évora's uncle). In later years, Os Tubaroes brought Cape Verdean music beyond Cape Verde's borders, setting the stage for the rise of performers like Évora, Tito Paris, Ildo Lobo, Lura, Teofilo Chantre, and Maria DeBarros. Morna and other styles of Cape Verdean music are also played in Cape Verdean immigrant communities abroad, especially in New England in the US, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, West Africa, and parts of Latin America.
In the latter part of the 20th century, morna was fused with genres like hip hop, zouk, samba and rock and roll, resulting in styles like CaboZouk.
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