I've been trying to decide all day long which artists to pick... and I keep going back and forth between two sets of artists... So I guess I don't have a choice but to make another entry tomorrow - dedicated to the Metal artists I'll leave out today! 😂
Here is my entry for 
- 2 Artists starting with the letter M:
1) Mayra Andrade
Style: Morna / Funaná / Batuque / Coladeira / Colá / Jazz / World Music
Country: Cape Verde
This girl has a very sweet voice and she is one of the best artists from Cape Verde of all time. Mayra Andrade's debut album was filled with cover versions from well known songs in the Islands of Cape Verde and the public reaction was off the roof.
Most of her songs include lyrics in her native tongue, the Cape Verdean Crioulo.
Everyone loved her interpretations so much that shortly after the release of her first album she was touring all over Europe. I was lucky enough to see her in Portugal in those early years of her career.
This was one of my favourite songs, at that concert. It's a song written by Kaká Barbosa, a musical legend in Cape Verde, who sadly passed away 23 days ago, on the first of May. 😢
The song is called Dimokránsa (Democracy) and this was played live in Amsterdam, on the National Dutch TV. You can really have a grasp of how good she is on this performance.
2) Mariana Aydar
Style: Popular Brazilian Music
Country: Brazil
This artist is a personal friend of Mayra Andrade and they have performed live together on many, many occasions. Her songs are very sweet with touching and emotional lyrics, mostly talking about love.
One of my favourite songs from Mariana Aydar is Palavras Não Falam (Words Don't Speak) and it was recorded live at a show in the National Brazilian TV! The lyrics of this song are simply gorgeous... 😊
I'll try to translate a bit of the song for you...
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
| Eu não escrevo pra ninguém e nem pra fazer música | I don't write for anyone and not even to make music |
| E nem pra preencher o branco dessa página linda | And not even to fill the blank of this beautiful page |
| Eu me entendo escrevendo e vejo tudo sem vaidade | Writing, I understand myself and see everything without vanity |
| Só tem eu e esse branco | There is only myself and that blank |
| Ele me mostra o que eu não sei | It shows me what I don't know |
| E me faz ver o que não tem palavras | And makes me see what doesn't have words |
| Por mais que eu tente são só palavras | As much as I try they are only words |
| Por mais que eu me mate são só palavras | As much as I kill myself they are only words |
As a bonus, I include a video of Mayra Andrade & Mariana Aydar playing and singing together on the streets of São Paulo, in Brazil... The song is called Tunuka (You Never) and it's sung in Cape Verdean Crioulo:
The song was written by Orlando Pantera, a Cape Verdean musician who lived between 1967 and 2001.
I hope you have liked these 2 artists. 😁
If you want to join the challenge, visit the announcement post, here: Music A to Z Challenge #M and use the tag #a-zmusic.
See my previous entries here:
- A) The Agonist & Arch Enemy / Atakama & Amely Sky [Metal]
- B) Багира & Blind Ivy [Metal]
- C) Conquer Divide & Cripper [Metal]
- D) Dark Tranquility & Dead Sara [Metal / Rock]
- E) Eths & Expellow [Metal]
- F) Fine Fine Titans & Frantic Amber [Metal]
- G) Green Jellÿ & GWAR [Comedy Rock / Comedy Metal]
- H) Hiromi Uehara & Haggard [Jazz / Metal]
- I) In Evil Hour & Infected Rain [Punk / Metal]
- J) Jinjer & Joss Stone [Metal / Soul]
- K) Koalas Desperados & Katzenjammer [Reggae / Hip-Hop / World Music / Folk Rock]
- L) LaScala & Louna [Rock / Alternative Rock / Fusion]