Ferro Gaita at SOBs in New York City

Ferro Gaita from Cape Verde returns to New York after 10 years.

It had been 10 years since Ferro Gaita performed in New York City, Cape Verdeans came from near and far to SOBs for the rare show. DJ MD (Marcy Depina) spun a set of vintage standards, creating a mood that evoked home to many in the audience. Ferro Gaita’s music is roots music primarily from the island of Santiago, from the countryside. The funana played slow, fast or samba. The accordion and the scraper are lead instruments the cowbell and the conch at the very center of the music.

Ferro Gaita transforms the rural music of the countryside of Santiago, consciously forging a music all Cape Verdeans identify with. International listeners are more familiar Cape Verde’s Morna, the songs of longing and seperation, Ferro Gaita’s music brings people together. The air of anticipation burst into carnival-like spontaneity on the dance floor when the band took the stage.  It is roots music, associated with freedom.

In colonial days as gatherng to play the music was banned. Iduina, accordion player and co leader says “this music connected to them, it is very nationalist this is the traditional music of that identifies the country, this is our roots.” He says learned from his godfather and father who played accordion, and later joined the military band as a trumpet player, afterwards he played reggae before coming back to accordion with the idea of playing funana in their own original way. 

The release of their first album Fundu Baxu 23 years ago changed Cape Verdean musical landscape, fundamentally changing how Cape Verdeans heard their own music and it rocked. the core members had met in other formations.

The current lineup includes Estevão (Iduino) Tavares, gaita; Emanuel (Manel) Tavares, percussion, vocals; Carlos (Bino Branco) Lopes, ferro; Mario (Betinho) Mendonça, bass; Luis (Lobo) da Veiga, drums; Frutuoso (Pitó) Pina, cowbell, conch; and Jose Varela, trombone.