''For the Brazilian footballer, see Mário Lúcio da Silva Junior''
Mário Lúcio or Izé (born October 21, 1964) is a Capeverdean singer, composer, writer, politician and a painter. From 2011 to 2016, he was the Capeverdean Minister of Culture.
Biography
Childhood and teenage years
He was born Lúcio Matias de Sousa Mendes in the town of Tarrafal in the island of Santiago's north in the final decade of Portuguese rule, he is a descendant of Jorge and Garda Brito.
Mário Lúcio lost his father when he was 12. At age 15, he and his seven siblings lost his mother. He lived in the barrack buildings of the Cape Verdean forces in his hometown under the care of the military. In 1984, he received a scholarship by the Cuban government in Havana where he studied and graduated six years later. He returned to his country where he practiced law. Between 1996 and 2001, he was member of the Cape Verdean parliament.
Musical career
He later founded the band Simentera. His ideas received an invitation by his government and became author of the ''Cape Verdean Musical Projects'' for Expo 92 in Seville and Expo 98 in Lisbon. He is a founder and director of Quintal da Música Cultural Association, a private cultural center featuring traditional music. As a composer, he was a member of SACEM (Societé française des Droits d'auteur) with compositions that
Cesária Évora
Cesária Évora GCIH (; 27 August 194117 December 2011), more commonly known as Cize, was a Cape Verdean singer-songwriter. She received a Grammy Award in 2004 for her album ''Voz d'Amor''. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing without ...
and other Cape Verdean artists recorded. He is the permanent composer of the Raiz di Polon Company, the only contemporary dance formation in the islands. In 1996, he recorded an album ''Nôs Morna'',
Ildo Lobo
Ildo Lobo (November 25, 1953 – October 20, 2004) was a Cape Verdean singer. His versatile and melodic voice, commanding stage presence and trademark berets made him one of the most recognizable performers in Cape Verde.Porto European Culture Capital on the soundtrack of the play ''Adão e as Sete Pretas de Fuligem'', performed by
João Branco
João Guedes Branco (b. 1 July 1968) is a French-born Portuguese theatrical actor and reviewer, professor, and programmer. He had a theatrical career for over 30 years and appeared in more than 50 plays, most of them in Mindelo, Cape Verde.
Bran ...
. He later attended at Fesquintal de Jazz, the Cape Verde International Jazz Festival whom he founded, several concerts in Brazil and Cuba as well as some European Countries and the African mainland, his notable appearance was the 2011 FMM Festival das Musicaus do Mundo in Sines, Portugal on June 24.
Bibliographical works and paintings
He is also a painter and participate in some of his exhibitions. He also appeared in poetry, and theater. In 2009, he wrote a novel titled ''Testamento'' (''Testament'') published by Dom Quixote, his recent novel won the Carlos de Olvieira Award and was a bestseller in Portugal. His next novel released in 2014 was ''Biografia do Língua'' which about the history of a language, the novel won the Miguel Torga Literary Award in July 2015.
Minister of Culture
In late 2011 after the
elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...
, he became Capeverdean Minister of Culture for five years, he succeeded Manuel Veiga as minister. In his first year on November 2 and 3, he went to Paris to visit with the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture. After the 2016 general election, Álvaro Anibal Barbosa Vicente succeeded Mário Lúcio Sousa as culture minister.
* ''Raiz'' ( Lusafrica/Sunny Moon, 1992)
** "Codjeta", originally by Kaká Barbosa
** "Nha Codê”, originally by Pedro Cardoso
* ''Barro E Voz'' (Mélodie/Indigo, 1997)
** "Nha nobo"
* ''Cabo Verde En Serenata'' (Piranha/EFA, 2000)
**"Tchapeu di padja" - originally a poem by Jorge Barbosa
**"Valsa Azul"
* ''Tr'Adictional'' (Mélodie/Indigo, 2003)
** "Lua Cheia", featuring Maria João
Solo
*''Mar e Luz'' 'Sea and Light''(2004)
*''Ao Vivo e outros'' 'Live and Other''(2006)
*''Badyo'' (2008)
*''Kreol'' (2010)
*''Funanight'' (2016)
Mayra Andrade
Mayra Andrade (born 13 February 1985) is a Cape Verdean singer who lives and records in Lisbon, Portugal.
Background
Andrade was born in Havana, Cuba, to parents from Cape Verde, and she and her family returned to Cape Verde a few days after ...
Awards
*Received the Portuguese Language Library Fund Award in 2000
*He was decorated by the President of the Republic of his country in 2006 with the Order of Vulcan alongside
Cesária Évora
Cesária Évora GCIH (; 27 August 194117 December 2011), more commonly known as Cize, was a Cape Verdean singer-songwriter. She received a Grammy Award in 2004 for her album ''Voz d'Amor''. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing without ...
, he was the youngest to be awarded.
*He was awarded the
Carlos de Oliveira
Carlos de Oliveira, GOSE (10 August 1921 – 1 July 1981), was a Portuguese poet and novelist.
Biography
He was born in Belém, Brazil, to a Portuguese family which moved back to Portugal in 1923. They settled in Cantanhede, in the small ...
Literary Award in 2009 on ''Novíssimo Testamento''
*He was awarded the
Miguel Torga
Miguel Torga (), pseudonym of Adolfo Correia da Rocha ( São Martinho de Anta, Sabrosa, Vila Real district, 12 August 1907 – Coimbra, 17 January 1995), is considered one of the greatest Portuguese writers of the 20th century. He wrote poe ...
Literary Award in 2015 on the work ''Biografia do Língua''