Lura

Lura is part of a new generation of musicians rediscovering the hidden traditions of her ancestral homeland.  Born in Portugal, she coniders herself a Cape Verdean, an archipelago 300 miles west of Dakar, Senegal.  Her third and most recent CD explores the African side of her heritage through rhythms like the funana and, in particular, the batuku.  Key to understanding her appeal is to see her onstage, where her warm, communicative manner, hip-swivelling dances and mellow voice make for a winning combination.  With her European upbringing and background in zouk and R&B, she adds a pop sensibility all her own, which comes through in her songwriting.

LURA is back with Eclipse, her finest album to date. Recorded in Brussels, Lisbon, Paris, Praia and Naples, Eclipse, the artist’s fourth CD, is released on Four Quarters Entertainment on June 16th, and confirms the talent and natural elegance of a singer who has made a remarkable splash in the U.S. in just a few short years.

The title song of Eclipse sets the tone for the album: delicately wrought, acoustic and full of grace. The track is a perfect illustration of sodade – a vague feeling of melancholy and sadness, a nostalgic relationship with land, sea and family sung by poets, sailors and their loved ones for generations.

A Portuguese-speaking artist, Lura stands at the crossroads of Portuguese and Cape Verdean culture. Growing up in the Creole quarter of Lisbon, Lura was surrounded by beats from the leeward and windward islands, as well as Portugal’s pop, jazz, African music and American soul. Yet she also felt intensely drawn to the African archipelago that her parents had been forced to leave, and determined to reclaim for herself. Today, all these influences are to be found on “Eclipse”. The album expresses love, joy and sometimes sadness. Its thirteen new tracks display incredible energy as well as Lura’s burgeoning songwriting skills.

Hear Lura here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuRiNY4X2bA

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