Monthly Archives: November 2019

Lula Pena

She has been praised by greats like Caetano Veloso, and some describe her voice as a female version of Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Influences from French chanson, bossanova and Greek folk music can be heard in Lula Penas music, but Portuguese fado is always there at the core: Songs of missing and longing, once sung by sailors far away on the outskirts of the Portuguese empire. Fado is about being in motion, and as such has always been a style in change. In Lula Pena’s delicate interpretations, it blends with the words of medieval troubadours, surrealistic poetry and the soundtrack from The Twilight Zone. On the latest album Archivo Pittoresco, she sets music to poems by Manos Hadjidakis, Violeta Parra and others. With her deep voice and unique guitar playing (drumming on the box as much as strumming the strings sometimes), Lula Pena creates a style of her own, both low-key and intense. She has called it musical acupuncture: It is not so much about telling a story as it is about touching certain sensitive points in the audience.

Lula Pena

She has been praised by greats like Caetano Veloso, and some describe her voice as a female version of Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Influences from French chanson, bossanova and Greek folk music can be heard in Lula Penas music, but Portuguese fado is always there at the core: Songs of missing and longing, once sung by sailors far away on the outskirts of the Portuguese empire. Fado is about being in motion, and as such has always been a style in change. In Lula Pena’s delicate interpretations, it blends with the words of medieval troubadours, surrealistic poetry and the soundtrack from The Twilight Zone. On the latest album Archivo Pittoresco, she sets music to poems by Manos Hadjidakis, Violeta Parra and others. With her deep voice and unique guitar playing (drumming on the box as much as strumming the strings sometimes), Lula Pena creates a style of her own, both low-key and intense. She has called it musical acupuncture: It is not so much about telling a story as it is about touching certain sensitive points in the audience.

Lula Pena

She has been praised by greats like Caetano Veloso, and some describe her voice as a female version of Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Influences from French chanson, bossanova and Greek folk music can be heard in Lula Penas music, but Portuguese fado is always there at the core: Songs of missing and longing, once sung by sailors far away on the outskirts of the Portuguese empire. Fado is about being in motion, and as such has always been a style in change. In Lula Pena’s delicate interpretations, it blends with the words of medieval troubadours, surrealistic poetry and the soundtrack from The Twilight Zone. On the latest album Archivo Pittoresco, she sets music to poems by Manos Hadjidakis, Violeta Parra and others. With her deep voice and unique guitar playing (drumming on the box as much as strumming the strings sometimes), Lula Pena creates a style of her own, both low-key and intense. She has called it musical acupuncture: It is not so much about telling a story as it is about touching certain sensitive points in the audience.

Lula Pena – New Date

She has been praised by greats like Caetano Veloso, and some describe her voice as a female version of Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. Influences from French chanson, bossanova and Greek folk music can be heard in Lula Penas music, but Portuguese fado is always there at the core: Songs of missing and longing, once sung by sailors far away on the outskirts of the Portuguese empire. Fado is about being in motion, and as such has always been a style in change. In Lula Pena’s delicate interpretations, it blends with the words of medieval troubadours, surrealistic poetry and the soundtrack from The Twilight Zone. On the latest album Archivo Pittoresco, she sets music to poems by Manos Hadjidakis, Violeta Parra and others. With her deep voice and unique guitar playing (drumming on the box as much as strumming the strings sometimes), Lula Pena creates a style of her own, both low-key and intense. She has called it musical acupuncture: It is not so much about telling a story as it is about touching certain sensitive points in the audience.

Nahawa Doumbia

She grew up in Wassoulou, a region in Mali, famous for its many outstanding female performers and for its melodic dance music. Her powerful voice was noticed by an official from the Malian ministry of culture, who invited Doumbia to sing at an important competition for young talent, which she won. Her victory marked the beginning of an international career now reaching its fifth decade. Her husband, guitarist Ngou Bagayoko, has been by her side throughout. They have shared the stage with greats such as Manu Dibango, Toure Kunda, and Miriam Makeba. Nahawa Doubmia’s lyrics have defended women’s rights and criticised polygamy. During the 1990s her sound was strongly influenced by Western pop music, and at the turn of the millennium she added electronic elements to her sound. Recently, Doumbia has returned to the traditional Wassoulou sound, where her unpolished tone soars, rising and falling to the accompaniment of bala, kamele ngoni, djembe, and acoustic guitar.