The Mediterranean
Experience
Cassandra Allen’s Musical Adventure in Spain

Introduction
§ A little about Me

§ Sense being at Berklee Valencia, This campus, it’s students and the
faculty , have inspired me to dig deeper into my musical ability. The
faculty has pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of doing
and expanded my knowledge of music and the limitless possibilities
there are when it comes to cultivating your musical goals.

About The Project
§ In this project, I will be focusing on music for cape Verde, and
specifically music performed by Cesaria Evora. I will be doing
a 5 piece collection of songs in memory of the late great
Cesaria Evora. I will also be discussing Cape Verde, and it’s
main musical. In addition, I will share the link between African
and Latin styles.
§ At the end of my informational portion of the presentation. I
will discuss each piece I recorded , and the recording
process. Then play it for the viewing committee.

Exploration
Sense my arrival at
Berklee Valencia and
being exposed to
many different genres
it has inspired me dig
deep into the
mediterranean
culture, my heritage,
and explore the
possibility of singing
different styles of
music.

Cape Verde

Morna
§ Morna is noted as one of the most popular genre of Cape
Verdean music and is the national music of Cape Verde.
§ Morna goes back about a 150 years, and is complex hybrid
of African and European cultures
§ Some musicologists trace the genre back to a genre called
the lundum (or lundu), from Africa, most likely Angola. It is a
dance-song from the Bantu tribe, which spread through
various regions of Africa.

Morna’s Instrumentation
§ Guitar, popularly called “violão” in Cape Verde and Voice
§ A medium-sized band may have a guitar, and instrument
called the cavaquinho , Ten or twelve string guitar and a
Percussion instrument.
§ A bigger band may what is above stated and a acoustic bass,
more than one solo instrument (violin, clarinet, trumpet, etc.)
and several percussion instruments (shaker, güiro, bongos,
etc.).
§ Morna can also be performed on a piano, with the left hand
providing the bass and the right hand providing the
accompaniment and the melody.

Morna’s Structure
Harmonic Structure
§ Morna obeys to a circle of fifths. The
harmonic progression starts in
I, V , I , V7

§ The structure has been developed
with passing chords as of more
recent composers have changed the
basic structure.

Melodic Structure
§ The melodic line of the morna varies a
lot through the song, with ascending
and descending note sequences, and
within a bar the notes generally do not
have the same length. One frequent
characteristic of the morna is
the syncopation.
§ There are several models of the form
Morna uses for example: ABABAB,
ABCBABCB, ACBACB, AABCCB.
§ The ABABAB form is what you will here
an example of later in the presentation.

Morna and the Blues
§ Morna is often compared to the blues; there is little
research on the relationship between the genres, though
there are interesting similarities and significant cultural
connections between Cape Verde and the United States.

§ The music is characterized by a slow tempo. The main
instrument is a guitar

Interesting Facts about Morna & Cape
Verdeans In the U.S
§ Paul Gonsalves, a Cape Verdean from New Bedford, was
one of Duke Ellington’s greatest tenor saxophonist players,
He is most well known for being the instigator of one of the
great stories of jazz history, when he blew a legendary 27chorus solo at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival that threw the
audience into fits
§ Bebop pianist Horace Silver was actually Horace Silva, son
of a Cape Verdean father and an Irish-African mother. He
didn’t foray too deeply into Cape Verdean musical territory,
but did make some island references on two of his most
famous compositions: “The Cape Verdean Blues” and the
bossa “Song for my Father.”

Morna’s Platform Star
§ Cape Verde and its national music morna has a
tremendous history and with it’s influence it has
produced an international superstar
named Cesária Évora.

§ Now we will take a look at a rare interview with
who they called the bare foot diva.

Cesaria Evora Interview

My Mediterranean Recordings

Sodade (Translation)
§ Ess caminho
Pa Sao Tomé
§ Sodade sodade
Sodade
Dess nha terra Sao Nicolau
§ Si bo 'screve' me
'M ta 'screve be
Si bo 'squece me
'M ta 'squece be
Até dia
Qui bo voltà
§ Sodade sodade
Sodade
Dess nha terra Sao Nicolau

§ Who showed you...
this distant way?
Who showed you...
this distant way?
This way ...
to Sao Nicolau
Longing, longing,...
Longing,...
For this land of mine, Sao
Nicolau
§ If you write me letter,...
I will write you back
If you forget me,...
I will forget you...
Until the day...
You come back

This is the Original piece sung by Ceasaria Evora

Why? Sodade
u I decided to recording Sodade because, when I first heard
the piece it gave me chills and I knew the moment I heard
the piece, I wanted to explore the origins of this music.
u What is different about my arrangement than the
original?
v I used mid-eastern percussion (Baca, Cajon, Shakers)
Instruments as well as traditional cape Verde instruments
along with multiple vocal overdubs using major 2nd and 3rd ,
minor 2nd and 3rd, and Perfect 4th harmonies.

Angola (Translation)
Ess vida sabe qu'nhôs ta vivê
Parodia dia e note manché
Sem maca ma cu sabura
Angola angola
Oi qu'povo sabe
Ami nhos ca ta matá-me
'M bem cu hora pa'me ba nha
caminho
Ess convivência dess nhôs
vivência
Paciência dum consequência
Resistência dum estravagância

This joyful life that you lead
Party night and day
Without harm but full of joy
Angola Angola
Such joyful people
You won't kill me
I came with my return's time
set
This experience of your living's
style
Paciencia of a consequence
Resistence of an extravagance

This is the Original piece sung by Ceasaria Evora

Why? Angola
u I decided to record and Angola because allot of the
music from Cape Verde is directly linked to Angola. The
music from and Angola and its people have influenced
the world of music and I thought it was important to
include a piece dedicated to the country.
u What is different about my arrangement than the
original?
v I decided to use Congas, multiple voice overdubs using
major 2nd and 3rd , minor 2nd and 3rd, and Perfect 4th
harmonies.

Besame Mucho (Translation)
§ Bésame, bésame mucho
Como si fuera esta noche
La última vez
§ Bésame, bésame mucho
Que tengo miedo a tenerte
Y perderte otra vez
§ Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos
Verte junto a mi
Piensa que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos
Muy lejos de ti

§ Kiss me, kiss me a lot
For I am afraid of having you
And losing you all over again.
§ I want to have you close to me
To see myself in your eyes
To see you next to me
Think that perhaps tomorrow
I will be far
So far away from you
§ Kiss me, kiss me a lot
As if tonight were
The last time
§ Kiss me, kiss me a lot
For I am afraid of having you
And losing you all over again.

This is the Original piece sung by Ceasaria Evora

Why? Besame Mucho
u Besame Mucho is a piece I’ve always loved and is one of the
first pieces, I had the chance to record and engineer.. I was
able to receive a new perspective on the recording process
and became better equip with my ability to engineer.
u What is different about my arrangement than the
original?
v This piece stays fairly close to the classic way of performing
this piece ( Voice and Guitar) I added different harmonies by
overdubbing my voice and adding variations of malizma’s
throughout the piece. I decided I wanted this piece to keep
close to the classic style because it embodied the classic
morna sound using only guitar and voice.

The Recording Process

Professional Package

CassandraAllenOfficialpage.com

THANK YOU!
§ HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Sources
§ http://lyricstranslate.com/en/besame-mucho-kiss-me
§ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morna_(music)
http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/morna-blues-with-salty-taste
§ http://blues.gr/profiles/blogs/morna-blues-with-salty-taste
§ http://lyricstranslate.com/en/angola-angola.html
§ Www.wix.com