This was the final album from the mythical group out of Cabo Verde, that soundtracked its independence days, following the demise, in 1974, of the dictatorial regime that ruled Portugal and its crumbling colonial system for nearly half a century - it's not for nothing that a pivotal scene in Pedro Costa's Juventude em Marcha [Colossal Youth] consists of little more than an old construction worker, Ventura, listening to their song "Labanta Braço", on a scratchy record, in the slums where people from Cabo Verde coming to Portugal in search of a better life often ended up, as little more was needed to express how political freedom does not automatically cancel out racialized social inequality and economic exploitation.
While the album isn't bad per se (none of theirs are) it does feel overproduced and stereotypical of many a 'modern' studio recording of African music from the 90's - which means you'll be better served by any of their previous records, whose vintage electric instrumentation has aged far better.
The final track "Mi ma mi", though, the only one by lead man Ildo Lobo, is a fine morna, that drew a moat between itself and all that came before, and was as such a clear demonstration of why he had to go the solo way from here on out, to record the absolute masterpiece that was to be Nos Morna.
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