Bitori

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BITORI ft Chando Graciosa

80 year old Legend of Funana – Once Forbidden Music of Cabo Verde islands

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Re-released on renowned label Analog Africa
WOMEX 2017 Alumni
Summer tour 2018 includes:  Festival MED, PT | 5 July Roskilde, DK 

The time has come to put the spotlight on the Legend of Funaná. Since June 2016 the band has played 13+ countries. This accordion virtuoso has influenced generation and continues to spread this raw infectious dance music with his line-up off veteran musicians.

Highlights: From mainstream festivals like Lowlands, to underground like Fusion, from Sweden, to Chicago to Malaysia: Funana touched the hearts of global audiences in 4 continents.

Richmond Folk Festival, Forde Festival Norway, Roskilde Festival, FMM Sines PT, Chicago World Music Festival, Paradiso Amsterdam, Festival MED PT and many more.

In May 2016 Bitori received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the President of Cabo Verde, during the CVMA Awards!

Line-up:
Victor Tavares “Bitori” – gaita accordeon
Chando Graciosa – vocals & ferrinho
Toy Paris – drums
Miroca Paris – percussion, backing vocals
Paulo de Fogueiredo – bass, backing vocals

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Education & workshops

The band is available for workshops for various age groups and themes. From Richmond Folk Festival, to Rainforest Music Festival they’ve shared their story in words, rhythm, music and smiles.

BIOGRAPHY

20 Years, in 2016, later that album was released once more: this time sharing Funana music far beyond CV, launching a well deserved international career.

They had met years earlier, when Chando (from Tarafal) was in his late teens and lead singer of the main youth band in Praia. He immediately felt drawn to Bitori’s talent, his raw passionate sound and honest lyrics reflecting the harsh reality of the working class.

The specific music style they are famous for is Funana: based on ferro (metal scraper), vocals, and gaita (accordion).  Under Portuguese rule it was forbidden, frowned upon as music of uneducated peasants and deemed too “wild”.  Only following Cape Verde’s independence in 1975 the sound began to spread more and broke out of that rural image with fierce energy.

Chando had moved to the largest port city of Europe, Rotterdam: as safe heaven and home to the countries most important label Morabeza Records. There they build around a formidable rhythm section incl drummer Grace Evora and bass player Danilo Tavares. “Bitori Nha Bibinha” was born, a masterpiece which catapulted Chando Graciosa to stardom, making him Cabo Verde´s No.1 singer of Funana.

The success in Cabo Verde was phenomenal, and funaná rapidly gained the recognition it deserved, especially in urban dance clubs. Bitori´s songs quickly became standards, classics, known and loved throughout the country. But its success was limited solely to the Cabo Verdean islands, and never had the opportunity to travel beyond its confines — until now!All that changed with Analog Africa prepared it’s re-release for 2016 and started forming a band around Bitori & Chando, teaming up with partner Kokako Music to tour the globe.

A Kokako Music production, founded with AA.