The Batuque (Batuku in Capeverdean creole) is a music and dance genre from the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. When compared with the other musical genres from Cape Verde, the Batuque has a call and response structure, and it is the only genre that is polyrhythmic. The first movement is called, in Creole, “Galion”. In this movement one of the performers (called batukaderas) executes a polyrhythmic hit, while the others execute a two-beat hit slapping a cloth.
The lead singer singed (That leader was just amazing) a verse about each of the Mica students that was immediately repeated (In unison by the remaining singers called kantaderas di kunpanha).
Normally, these verses, improvised proverbs that talk about a variety of subjects such as praising personalities, social criticism, quotidian scenes, are called “Finason”.
This call and response structure goes on until the second movement.
The second movement is called “Txabéta”. This movement corresponds to an orchestral climax in which all the players execute the same polyrhythmic beat, and all the singers sing the same verse in unison that works as a refrain.
You know what? This was just AMAZIIIIING!
