Lucibela

Lucibela sings in Cape Verdean Creole, working the island song forms of morna and coladeira with acoustic guitar, cavaquinho and light percussion behind her. She learned her craft singing in the bars and hotels of Mindelo before building a career that took her to Lisbon, where she is now based.

Her debut album, Laço Umbilical, was released on Lusafrica, the label long associated with Cesária Évora. Its title points to the songs' subject: the ties between Cape Verdeans and their islands, a theme that runs through much of the morna repertoire she draws on.