Batuku

The Batuque is a music and dance genre from Cape Verde.

As a music genre

As a music genre, the ''batuque'' is characterized by having an ''andante'' tempo, a 6/8 or 3/4 measure and traditionally it is just melodic, i.e., it is just sung, it has no polyphonic accompaniment. When compared with the other musical genres from Cape Verde, the ''batuque'' has a call and response structure, and it is the only genre that is polyrhythmic. In fact, analyzing the rhythm, one finds out that it is a 3-beat rhythm over a 2-beat rhythm.

In its traditional form, the ''batuque'' is organized as if it were an orchestral ''crescendo''. It possesses two movements (if we may call them so):

In older times the music began with an introduction on the ''cimboa'' that provided the base musical line. Nowadays the usage of that instrument is extinct. The first movement is called, in Creole, ''galion'' . In this movement one of the performers (called ''batukaderas'' ) executes a polyrhythmic hit, while the others execute a 2-beat hit, clapping hands or slapping a cloth. The lead singer (called ''kantadera proféta'' ) sings a verse that is immediately repeated (called ''ronca baxon'' ) in unison by the remaining singers (called ''kantaderas di kunpanha'' ). These verses, improvised proverbs that talk about a variety of subjects such as praising personalities, social criticism, quotidian scenes, are called ''finason'' . This call and response structure goes on until the second movement.

The second movement is called ''txabéta'' . This movement corresponds to an orchestral climax in which all the players execute the same polyrhythmic beat, and all the singers sing the same verse in unison that works as a refrain.

Nowadays, recent composers have composed the ''batuque'' in a different way. The music leans on a polyphonic support ( chord sequences), and shows a similar structure to the other musical genres in Cape Verde, in which the musical strophes alternate with a refrain.

In 2019, Madonna incorporates the genre on " Batuka" from her album Madame X. For the song's official music video (which was shot in Lisbon) she dances and plays drums with the Orquestra Batukadeiras, who are also featured as the track's background vocalists.

As a dance

As a dance, the traditional ''batuque'' follows a precise ritual.

In a ''batuque'' session, a group of performers (almost always just women) gather themselves in a circle in a scenario that is called ''terreru'' . This scenario does not have to be a precise location, it may be a back yard in a house or it may be a public square, for instance.

The musical piece begins with the players (that may be simultaneously or not ''batukaderas'' and ''kantaderas'') executing the first movement, while one of the players goes to the center to perform the dance. In this first movement the dance is made only with body swinging, with an alternate movement of the legs playing the downbeat.

In the second movement, while the players perform the rhythm and sing in unison, the dancer changes the dancing. Now, the dancing (called ''da ku tornu'' ) is made with a hip swing managed through the quick flexion of the knees, accompanying the rhythm.

When the song is over, the dancer pulls back and another takes her place, and a new song begins. These performings may last for hours until the end of the ''batuque'' session.

History

The ''batuque'' is probably the oldest musical genre in Cape Verde, but there are written records of it only from the 19th century. Presently, it is found only in Santiago, notably Tarrafal, however, there are clues that it existed in all the islands of Cape Verde.

According to Carlos Gonçalves,Gonçalves, C. F., ''Kab Verd Band'' — 2006 the ''batuque'' is not a musical genre that originated in the African continent. It may be an adaptation of some African dance that later has developed its own characteristics in Cape Verde.

The Portuguese administration and the Church have always been hostile to the ''batuque'', because it was considered “African”, but during the policy of ''Estado Novo'' this hostility was stronger. The ''batuque'' has even been forbidden in urban centers and it was a dying musical genre from the 1950s.

After independence there has been an interest in the revival of some musical genres. It was in the nineties that the ''batuque'' experienced a true rebirth with young composers (such as Orlando Pantera, Tcheka, Vadú) doing research work and giving a new form to the ''batuque'', now sung by young singers (such as Lura, Mayra Andrade, Nancy Vieira).

Batuque is equally important in the development of jazz creole in the islands, one of the notable group is Raiz Tambarina.García, Jesús (2009): ''Sobre la música y el baile, en El mundo a tu aire: Cabo Verde'' (GAESA, Madrid) p.65

Meaning

In ancient times the ''batuque'' had a precise social meaning. It was performed in holy days, in certain ceremonial occasions, in feasts, before and during weddings. There are some scholars who speculate that the dance movement of the batuque has a sexual meaning and the goal was to promote the fertility of the bride.

Nowadays, the ''batuque'' has lost its original meaning. It has been transformed in a stage performance, and it is performed in official acts, in parties or it is used by some groups to give an example of Cape Verdean folklore.

Examples of ''batuques''

*«Batuco» by Bulimundo
performed by Bulimundo in the album «Batuco» (ed. Black Power Records, Rotterdam, Ref. Lp 2233 — 1981)
*«Maria Júlia» by Gil Semedo
performed by Gil & The Perfects in the album «Verdadi» (ed. GIVA, ? — 1996)
*«Rabóita di Rubõ Manel» by Orlando Pantera
performed by Lura in the album «Di korpu ku alma» (ed. Lusáfrica, Paris — 2004)
*«Dispidida» by Orlando Pantera
performed by Mayra Andrade in the album '' Navega'' (ed. ?, ? — 2006)
*«Nha kumadri» by Lateral e Rolando Semedo
performed by Nancy Vieira in the album «Lus» (''Light'') (ed. HM Música, Lisboa — 2007)

In popular culture

*The musical and dance style give its name to a football (soccer) club in Mindelo in São Vicente named Batuque FC
*The 2006 film ''Batuque, the Soul of a People'' was a film related to this genre of music, it was directed and written by Júlio Silvão Tavares.
*American singer-songwriter Madonna references and uses elements of Batuque in her song " Batuka" from the album ''Madame X''.

See also

*Batucada

References

External links

Breves Apontamentos sobre as Formas Musicais existentes em Cabo Verde
in pdf - In Portuguese

- Has pictures of a ''batuque'' session.
Música e Cabo-verdianos em Lisboa
- In Portuguese

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batuque (Music)
African dances
Cape Verdean music
Ritual dances
Culture of Santiago, Cape Verde