On Saturday 25th July in the stunning location of Las Salinas de Pedra de Lume, the Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra flew into Cape Verde to accompany a host of both famous and unknown Cape Verdean singers, in what was a spectacular evening of music set inside the extinct volcanic crater in Pedra de Lume. The event organisers must have put in an extreme amount of hard work and organisation with the lighting around the crater creating a wonderful ambient for the nights entertainment. From the car parking laid out at the top of the crater, an orderly queue to have you ticket collected and hand stamped right through to the large stage, bar and musician tent all powered by several large generators the organisers planned this event in minute detail.

The metropolitan Orchestra were as expected fantastic playing a plethora of musical styles. Opening with the Cape Verdean and Portuguese national anthems, which encouraged a great sense of national pride within the crowd, The Orchestra went on to play some more classic orchestral music from Mozart and Brahms and of course accompanied the various Cape Verdean singers in each of their individual sets.

Head-lining the event was the famous Cape Verdean singer Tito Paris. Born May 30, 1963 in Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde Tito Paris is among the most popular musicians from Cape Verde successfully blending the sound of Cape Verdean traditional Mornas, Coladeiras and Funanas with the moderns sounds of Portugal and the rest of the world. Tito Paris himself was not however the only singer on Saturday night.

The opening act was an excellent, interesting and diverse blend of instrumental hip hop /rap highlighting just how adaptable and skilled the Metropolitan Orchestra is. The crowd was then treated to some classic Cape Verdean Mornas from artists such as Dany Silva, Gil do Carmo, Pena Betu, Toy Vieira and Nha Cretche to name but a few. The stand out performer of the evening was the flamboyant and crowd rousing signer Sandra Horta who was possibly the best part of the evening’s entertainment with her phenomenal stage presence and voice. Sandra’s music was much livelier than the classical Cape Verdean music being more comparable to a Cape Verdean Shakira or Nelly Furtado. As yet she has not recorded an album but is instead concentrating on her studies in Portugal however after Saturdays performance she is certainly a name to watch out for.

A spectacular evening set in a sublime location congratulations must be given to the event organisers and of course the artists themselves for a wonderful show and let’s hope that there are more events set to come from Pedra de Lume.