Customer Reviews

Cape Verdean Melancholy

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Rufino Almeida (a.k.a. Bau)'s all-instrumental CAPE VERDEAN MELANCHOLY presents a monster musician who builds his own instruments, has mastered several styles of music from swing and jazz fusion to morna (the melancholic music of the Cape Verte islands of Africa), and who plays guitar, violin and cavaquinho (known in Hawaii as the ukulele) with equal skill.

Bau's greatest hits is recommended for anyone interested in instrumental music, whether it be jazz or anything else. The songs aren't jazz, since the song structures are fairly tight. The songs are always interesting, sometimes haunting, sometimes happy, and I usually feel better after listening to them. Bau makes the guitars and violins he plays, but I like the way he sometimes distorts the violin sound.

This CD is a superb blend of jazz, classical Portuguese guitar, African syncopation rhythims-by all means lsiten and enjoy! Song #6 "Toy" is my favorite.

I love this CD. It's my favorite right now. Extremely talented. If you are a Cesaria Evora fan, then you will love this.

I purchased this CD because of the song "Raquel" which is on the soundtrack for the movie "Hable Con Elle". This song (Raquel) is an amazingly simple but memorable piece with a soft/funky latin beat keeping the time rolling right along. When putting in this CD, "Raquel" was the first song, so I was quite happy. And then I got to the second song and that weird screechy violin started in.. ugh.. with all due respect to Bau, the way he distorts/effects the violin is not enjoyable. At all. I bought the CD for his amazing guitar work. Now, in that respect the album is fantastic, but I want to just skip past every song that contains the violin - due to the effects. And unfortunately, most songs contain it (there are like 4-5 that don't). Overall, great musician, unfortunate choice of effects.