COMPOSERS: Zé Luís
LABELS: Lusafrica
ALBUM TITLE: Zé Luís: Serenata
WORKS: Serenata
PERFORMER: Zé Luís
CATALOGUE NO: 662302CD
On his debut album, Serenata, just released at the age of 63, Cape Verdean singer Zé Luís demonstrates his peerless gift for choosing songs.He’s perfectly at home with the melancholic morna, yet most of the songs are gently rocking coladeiras. Expect infectious rhythms and rich acoustic string textures as crisply strummed cavaquinhos bounce off tangy guitars. His life as a carpenter seems to have given him the ability to knock others’ words into new shapes, and he sings these 14 lovely songs as if he had penned them himself. Just check out the joyful ‘Ganha Gasta’ to get the idea.
Jon Lusk