The Dutch Cape Verdian singer Gil Semedo speaks a young generation who recognizes in his lyrics about a young person growing up in a cold distant land is torn between nostalgia and prosperity. He is currently one of the most successful artists of Portuguese-speaking Africa; worldwide were more than half a million albums sold him, and he stood on many stages in Europe, Africa and the United States.
Semedo was born in 1974 on the island of Santiago, but moved at the age of six with his family to the Netherlands. As a child he was already experimenting with music and wrote his own songs. Initially pop Michael Jackson was his inspiration: the fifteen Semedo got in 1989 even the final of the Soundmixshow as imitator of his idol. Over the years, however, increasingly Semedo turned back to his roots and created their own music in 1991: Caboswing. Caboswing is a blend of traditional Cape Verdean music as coladeira, Funaná batuque and other music styles such as zouk, pop and R & B. His hit album Nos Lider (1999) in various countries won gold and platinum and the compilation album Best Of 1991-2001 Gil was named the best-selling Cape Verdean album of the year at the Cabo Music Awards in 2001. In 2005 was Semedo's album Nha Vitória by Ramiro Mendes released on American label MB Cape Verde Records. (SvdP)more
