Malkradessa

The Bissau Guinean singer Venilio Evangelista Pan was born in Portugal and lives in London. This, his debut album, is a mirror of his colourful cultural path. The songs are written in both Portuguese and Bissau Guinean Creole (a mixture of African languages and Portuguese), have the grungy, urban sound of London, the edge of the Portuguese hip-hop scene, and the rolling reggae riffs popular in Guinea Bissau. The songs are straight-speaking and filled with a dry sense of humour. Underlaid with a heavy bass line, ‘Vinnie Stigma’ is a song about Venilio (whose nickname is Vinnie). ‘Don’t step on my toes – that’s what the song is about,’ explains Venilio. Sparkling with layers of what sounds like a kora (the West African harp-lute), ‘Butterflies’ is a fast-paced, carnival-spirited song about the troubles of being part of many cultures. ‘Having many cultures is like having several girlfriends,’ Venilio mock-complains. The song mixes dancehall, rap and an unfathomable drum beat: it’s one of the album’s highlights. ‘Cidade’, a song about trying to make it in the city, features the beautiful vocals of both Venilio and reggae singer Rassie Ai on top of its sultry beat and catchy melody. There’s lots worth listening to on this album but it’s the kind of music that comes off better in a live performance. For something off-beat and unusual, however, it’s worth it – if only for broadening the musical mind.