MARIO LUCIO (2022)

Songwriter, poet, singer, and from 2011 to 2016 Minister of Culture of Cape Verde, Mario Lucio is a figure of the Cape Verdean cultural and musical scene. His new video Mi So (Being Alone), shot in his home town of Tarrafal, tells of the poetry of solitude, of sharing what can only be contemplated alone. From this premise, Mi So shows the celebration of oneself with others, the creation of a state of collective contentment through encounters.

Mi So is taken from his latest album Migrants on which Mario appeals to our humanity and pays tribute to those who have lost their lives trying to cross seas and land over the centuries. The album, produced by a young Portuguese musician-producer Rui Ferreira, brings new sounds to Cape Verdean music while retaining its soul.

This album, the tenth in the artist’s career (from his debut with Simentera to Funanight released in 2019) is in itself a gesture of migration, of encounters. This is the first time that singer-songwriter Mario Lucio, has entrusted the arrangements and musical production to a European, in this case the Portuguese multi-instrumentalist Rui Ferreira from Porto. “In this album, I wanted my soul to be read by another“, says Mario Lucio. The notion of crossbreeding, dialogue and harmony between cultures is the motif of this work, breaking down notions of borders, linguistic barriers, colour, religion or nation.

The songs tell the incredible personal history of Mario Lucio, his childhood in Tarrafal, Cape Verde, his travels, his practice of Buddhism and the Yoruba religion, his reflections on creolisation. They tell of experiences, confessions, beliefs, but also share hope and friendship. He has written for Cesaria Evora, Mayra Andrade and many others, and reveals all his talent as a poet and composer in this album.