Rabelado - Bitori (Featuring Chando Graciosa) by Analog Africa

In the early 50s, Victor Tavares, better known as Bitori, took a ship to the island of Sao Tomé & Principe with the aim of returning to Cabo Verde with an accordion.

It took the young men two years to save enough money to buy the cherished instrument. As soon as that was done, Bitori embarked on a 2 month journey back home. Arriving in Sao Vincente, the instrument was mastered.

Self taught, Bitori had his own way of playing the instrument and he quickly caught the eye of the elderly who asked him to invigorate local parties and traditional festivities around Praia. But that didn't come without risk because the traditional accordion-based sound of funaná was initially banned for being too "wild". It was only following independence in 1975 that the sound began to spread. Recordings of Funana only started in the late 90s

In 1997, Chando Graciosa, a young singer based in Rotterdam, together with drummer Grace Evora and bass player Danilo decided to invite Bitori to Holland to record what many call the best Funana album to ever being recorded. The success in Cabo Verde was instant but it was a success confined to the islands and it never had the chance to be presented to a western audience.

The Analog Africa Soundsystem has been playing Bitori´s music for many years and it has set fire to many parties (Womex 2009 closing party). It became a "secret weapon".

With Bitori. Analog Africa will be releasing that recording on Vinyl/CD/Digital newly Remastered, with a proper biography including many pictures. Bitori and Chando Graciosa will be reunited with a Cap Verdian all-star-band for a tour in the summer of 2016.

It is high time to shed some light on the legend of Funana.