Biography

Simentera's leader, Mário Lúcio de Sousa, first picked up a guitar in an army barrack as an eleven year-old soldier. Since then it has rarely left his side. For most of the past decade, de Sousa and Simentera (a word that refers to the time of year for planting seeds) have been revitalizing their country's music.
While most groups from Cape Verde play old compositions with electronic instruments, Simentera composes new pieces for acoustic instruments. A local newspaper dubbed them as "the new face of the other Cape Verdean music and the other face of the new Cape Verdean music."
"If we don't modernize our music we will end up with a museum-piece in the same way as has already happened in many places around the world," says de Sousa, "a music which has an ethnographic value and thus ceases to be the expression of a popular feeling."
Members of Simentera come from many walks of life. Not only are they accomplished musicians, they also work in a variety of professions including law, architecture, engineering and medicine. They are one of the few Cape Verdean groups committed to living in their country forever. This may sound like an odd distinction, but the forces they are up against are enormous.
Cape Verde was the last African nation to gain independence from European colonial powers -- a factor that has contributed to enthusiasm in national identity. Simentera is dedicated to maintaining this newfound identity and has started a foundation for musical preservation. The Simentera Foundation aims to establish a cultural center, a music school for children, and a CD shop that will promote Cape Verdean artists.