Customer Reviews

M'Bem Di Fora

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

 

 

Once a backing singer and dancer for Cesaria Evora, she established her reputation by breaking away from Evora's sad and soulful morna style and mixing in cool, thoughtful ballads.
She also has an impressive line in raunchy dancing, with such upbeat African-influenced rhythms as funana and batuque.
This album shows off her cool, clear vocals on a series of songs that are all very pleasant and easygoing.
Lura brings a street-wise, urban sensuality infused with the passionate root of mother Africa to her music.
Key to understanding her appeal is to see her onstage, where her warm, communicative manner, hip-swivelling dances and mellow voice make for a winning combination.
Perhaps most crucially, as part of a new wave of younger performers currently emerging from Cape Verde and its diaspora cultures in the US and Europe, Lura brings a fresh outsider perspective to the traditional music of her ancestral isles.

I really believe this record is an extraordinary achievement in Cape verdean music. If Lura's first major label international release, "With heart and soul", reflected her roots in the new Batuku style under the influence of the now legendary Orlando Pantera (she covered 4 Pantera songs on that record), here she spreads her wings further, in true Krioulu style, assimilating what she finds best in a broad variety of styles, both indigenous to the islands and from abroad. The result is spectacular, and much broader and deeper than her previous work. Her voice is getting much better with age (for an interesting view of how her voice has improved over the years, check out her vocals on Bonga's record, Mulemba Xangola). And as Lura is surrounding herself with a very talented and diverse set of musicians whose work on this record is very good. Most notably, Lura's keyboardist, Toy Vieira, really comes into his own as a songwriter on this record. He clearly has a great talent for songwriting and the Toy Vieira/Lura collaboration promises to be a very fruitful one. This record establishes Lura as the most interesting and innovative artist recording in Krioulu today. I look forward to giving 5 stars to her next release because it will undoubtedly be even better.

Portuguese singer Lura presents M'bem Di Fora ("I Come From The Country"), her second North American music CD album, which draws heavily upon her love of her countryside home, and the unique musical traditions of the Cape Verde islands. Cape Verde is a semi-arid island string of ten islands hundreds of miles from mainland Africa; each island has its own distinct rhythms, and all of them formed inspiration for Lura's lively music anthology. From the hope of people waiting for rain to return, to the ambience of midsummer celebration, to the song about a daughter who fell in love with a poor islander rather than fulfill her mother's dream of marrying a rich foreigner, the songs of M'bem Di Fora embodies a pure love of country life, despite its hardships.

I truly enjoy Lura's voice. I usually play her CDs while I'm writing. She has an excellent range. I don't understand a word she's saying, but I love the music and her singing. I purchased 2 of her CDs for myself two years ago. I purchased her CDs as Christmas gifts for friends too.

Excellent!!! GREAT music, great voice. It doesn't matter what mood you're in....it will put you in a good one.

I purchased this CD based on the reviews & the music samples. But when I 1st listened to it I wasn't quite feeling it. I think because since she's young I was expecting her style to be like Sara Tavares. But as I kept listening to it, I started to enjoy her singing, her style and the music. NOW I very much like it & totally love #9 Galanton, love it, love it, love it! I'll have Galanton on repeat forever. I really like #5 As-Agua & #10 Pensa Dret these 2 will be on repeat too. I also like #12 too great music. And I will be purchasing her 1st CD too!

I think she's very talented...she has to be, to be background singer to Cesaria Evora, she's moved on doing her own think & I'm impressed. To me she's a younger livelier sounding version of Cesaria Evora, but all her own style. I wish I can see her in concert; I'd love to see her dancing. Galanton makes me want to get up & dance to.

I am of Cape Verdean descent (all 4 of my grandparents) & I try to listen to OUR music & support OUR talented musical artist, even though I do not understand what it's saying, I was never taught OUR language when I was young. But I feel OUR music and I'm proud to be a Cape Verdean/American. It's great, even though they are born in Portugal to Cape Verdean parents (specking of Sara Tavares too) they keep their Cape Verdean heritage alive.

I have not heard anything this good in many years. Lura's beautiful voice and subtle joyous energy is unique. The group of musicians supporting her are superb.

O quarto, o sonido è perfeito, as cançoes sao muito lindas mesmo, Ela descobriu a muito tempo as suas origem, ou seja as sua raizes, eu gosto muito deste cd mas acho que di korpu... e um bocadinho melhor, mas acqui pode ouvir cançoes maravilhosas mesmo!

I was lucky enough to see Lura live here in Washington, D.C. a couple of years ago and became an instant fan.

This album was well worth the wait and I'm happy to see that she's getting support from her record company.