Léve Léve São Tomé & Príncipe sounds 70s-80s is the very first compilation focusing on the golden age of these islands’ sounds.
The two Portuguese-speaking African islands of São Tomé & Príncipe, located in the Gulf of Guinea, created a unique music called Puxa: a refined mixture of various musical components from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. A blend of Semba, Merengue, Kompas, Soukouss, Coladeira patterns, often pushing forward with a voodoo-like energy, solid bass lines, delicate melodies and backing harmonies of the rich São Tomean melodic traditions. Léve-Léve is the first ever compilation devoted to music from São Tome & Príncipe, two small islands situated off the coast of Gabon in central Africa.
The album unravels a story of liberation where the music of Africa, Europe and the Americas unify with a carefree spirit personified by a phrase the islanders use all the time: ‘léve, léve’ (‘take it easy’). From the mid-1970s, coinciding with independence from Portugal in 1975, the islands’ groups featured an even stronger African influence and nowhere was that more apparent than with Africa Negra. This compilation shows how much São Tome & Principe has in common with other Lusophone countries and boasts a richly complex and idiosyncratic musical DNA.
LÉVE LÉVE Sao Tomé & Principe sounds 70s-80s, out on 31 January 2020 via Bongo Joe. Discover the album artwork below and pre-order it now here.
