Julinho da Concertina is simply one of the greatest living legends of Funaná, a musical style from the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. Under a strict colonial regime, frequent droughts and the impossibility of escape, Funaná was a brutally repressed challenge to colonial law and order: a serious political stance that culminated in a cry for liberation. Initially played only with accordion and ferrinho (literally a piece of iron played with a knife), Funaná later adopted more musical elements, drums and bass, thus becoming the most explosive and liberating musical expression ever to come from Cape Verde and possibly the entire African continent. Julinho da Concertina is one of the most important and innovative musicians in the history of Funaná, taking its complexity to a psychedelic level only comparable to the late Tchota Suari. With a career spanning more than 50 years, he’s back at ZDB to remind us of old times!
