Musica da Cabo Verde

Musica de Djabraba;

Ivo Pires (1942-2009)

 

Ivo Pires was born in 1942 in Pe di Rocha, Sao Joao Baptista but was raised in Cham de Sousa, Nossa Senhora de Monte, Brava. He was the son of Justa Pires and Julio Gomes.

Music was in his blood from an early age. It is said that he made his first cavaquinho at age 8 from pieces of his grandmother's house and pieces from his grandfather's mirror. He went on to become a world-class craftsman of musical instruments, even making a cello for Yo-Yo Ma. If Ivo was playing with his band at a dance, the house was sure to be packed.

Growing up in Massachusetts, I remember Ivo leading his band, playing "robeka music" as my cousins referred to the music played, at family "badjus" or dances. As a kid, I remember everyone getting up as quick as they could to find their next dance partner as Ivo played another coladeira, morna or mazurka.

I tried to dance to his mazurka (not an easy dance!) at one party where I'm afraid I did nothing more than embarress myself and caused a few snicker here and there; the american-born child trying to dance with her Cape Verdean mother to one of her favorite songs!

Ivo was one of many Cape Verdean musicians who have kept the musical traditions of Brava and the other islands of Cape Verde alive. Today there are many younger musicians who are keeping the tradition, such as the Miranda Brothers - Joao, Ney, Napoleon, from Brockton, MA. Son's of Josesinho, a well-known musician from Brava, they perform the music of their father, as well as those of other greats, like Eugenio Tavares. We are still very grateful for their playing of "Tropa music" at my step-father, Benedito Pires Gibau's, funeral just this past October. Tropa is a tradition within our culture when musicians accompany the casket of the deceased to their final resting place.

Cape Verde and Brava, in particular is known for the morna, ballads dedicated to the concepts of love and loss, nostalgia, sodade of your homeland and family. I grew listening to not only Ivo but so many other talented Cape Verdean musicians. The list includes my father, Jose Domingos Lopes. Below is a video of footage taken during a trip to Brava. My father is playing his violin and cavaquinho to Ivo Pires' songs. The album, Tradicao, recorded s few years before his death, is the only one Ivo recorded and my father was one of the musicians on the original album.

In this video are also my step-father, Bene, and uncle Pepe, who have both since passed away since this recording. Bene was Ivo's first cousin so this music has very important meaning to me for so many reasons.