Radio Kriola / Various - Radio Kriola [CD]

Seeing the connections between Portugal and Africa, this album addresses the similarities within these cultures but also speaks of their differences. The songs are stories infused with colors and rhythms from Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Portuguese fado, and reflections on Portuguese identity. Music has surrounded Catarina dos Santos since she was a child. Her father was a programmer for the Cultural Centre in Barreiro, Portugal, and held his own radio show, which meant that Catarina grew up watching live performances of music, theater and dance from backstage. Barreiro is an industrial town with mixed demographics. This cultural melting pot was ultimately mirrored in the music she heard, sang and danced to as a child: a blend of Angolan, Cape Verdean, Brazilian and Portuguese music.