Concert highlight

The heartbeat of the Cape Verde Islands

Bitori Nha Bibinha was already a guest in Vorarlberg in 2016. Back then, he wowed the audience at the Harder Kammgarn. In February, he will give a concert in Dornbirn.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

The Cape Verdean islands may not necessarily be rich in the monetary sense - but they are rich in musical sounds and joie de vivre. Klaus Zimmermann and Gerda Frick have found a second home there - and ensure cultural exchange with their association "Nos ku Nhus".

When the notes of the gaita dance through the air and the pulsating rhythm of the ferrinho resounds, then you are right in the middle of it - in Funaná, the musical soul of Cape Verde. Funaná is an incomparably dynamic style of music that blends African rhythms with Portuguese influences. It is typically played on the accordion (also known as "gaita" in Cape Verde), accompanied by an iron rod called a ferrinho, which is struck with the back of a knife and serves as a rhythm instrument. Funaná is characterized by its fast rhythm, its repetitive melodic patterns and an energetic, almost trance-like mood. Originating from the resistance against colonial oppression, this form of music tells of freedom and longing, but also of joie de vivre.

A living legend makes a guest appearance in Dornbirn
Bitori Nha Bibinha (86), also known as Bitori (real name: Victor Tavares), is a legendary musician from Cape Verde and is considered one of the most important representatives of this style of music. He will give a concert in Dornbirn at the beginning of February together with other Cape Verdean musicians. It was the 86-year-old's express wish to perform in Europe once again, and further concerts are planned in Rotterdam and Lisbon. The guest performance in the trade fair city is made possible by the Vorarlberg association "Nos ku Nhos" ("We for you"). This was founded by biologist Klaus Zimmermann and his partner Gerda Frick in 2007 - primarily to implement social projects in Cape Verde.

Reconstruction of the medical care center.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

But it all actually began much earlier, in 1999: "Back then, we took our first trip to the Cape Verde Islands. The original plan was to go to the Azores, but the weather there in November was too unsafe for a hiking vacation," Zimmermann explains. And so, whether by chance or fate, the hungry travelers ended up in Cape Verde.

At the time, the small islands in the Atlantic were almost a blank spot on the map of tourist destinations. But the two from Vorarlberg embarked on the adventure. In the remote small town of Calheta on the island of Santiago, an Austrian development aid worker was running a small guesthouse at the time. Gerda Frick and Klaus Zimmermann stayed there and received valuable insider tips on living and traveling in the small country. They were immediately impressed by the warmth and hospitality of the locals, but also by the musical sounds. "Bitori music was playing on every form of public transport at the time. I liked it straight away," reports Zimmermann.

A warm friendship developed
The desire to meet the legendary musician in person grew in him. A few more years were to pass, but a chance meeting between the Vorarlberg native and the Cape Verdean eventually developed into a warm friendship.

Klaus Zimmermann, Gerda Frick and Bitori Nha Bibinha.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

But first things first: When Zimmermann and Frick returned from their first stay in Cape Verde, it was already clear that many more would follow. The couple took a Portuguese course so that they could communicate better with the locals in future. In the years that followed, they returned again and again to the archipelago off the northwest coast of Africa. On Fogo, in the remote village of Cha das Caldeiras, the two have now found a second home and made numerous friends. At the same time, they also want to give back some of the warmth and helpfulness they experienced there. "We asked ourselves what the villagers lacked most, and that was clearly medical care," says Zimmermann.

And so, through the association "Nos ku Nhos", which he founded himself, he worked to ensure that the completely desolate health center on Fogo was completely renovated. A young Cape Verdean woman was also trained as a qualified nurse.

Ambassadors of a unique music
Alongside the social projects, Zimmermann has also set himself the goal of "capturing" the unique music of the archipelago. In 2007, he set off with sound engineer Robin Gillard, equipped with a mobile recording studio, to record local artists. The recordings were then to be mastered at Klangfabrik Rankweil and burned onto CD.

And so it happened that one day he met Bitori and his son Viktor in a music club in Santiago. The rest, so to speak, is history, especially as the music project took on a whole new dynamic from then on: "By producing CDs, we want to draw attention to the work of our association on the one hand and promote the cultural heritage of Cape Verde on the other. If we can give the musicians a helping hand, then that's all the better," summarizes Zimmermann. Because even well-known artists in the republic are often at risk of poverty.

Funaná

Funaná is the rhythmic-ecstatic music style of the island of Santiago (Cape Verde), which was banned for a long time by the Portuguese colonial powers. Bitori nha Bibinha is a master of the diatonic accordion and one of the most important representatives of this style. Together with the singer Chando Graciosa and other Cape Verdean musicians, he will be a guest at the TiK in Dornbirn (Jahngasse 10) on February 8. The performance starts at 8 pm, tickets cost 25 euros (reservations are requested).

www.tik- dornbirn.at
Nos ku Nhos Association
Donation account: IBAN AT57 1400 0712 1004 4307
Contact: [e-mail]

The presentation of the CDs caused quite a stir in Cape Verde. And Klaus Zimmermann, who is best known in Vorarlberg as a former biological consultant at inatura in Dornbirn, has now made numerous TV and radio appearances with Bitori and other artists to promote their music. This collaboration has even been featured several times on a popular and much-watched breakfast show.

 When the Pico de Fogo suddenly caught fire
Despite the success, there were also challenges to overcome over the years. The eruption of the Pico de Fogo volcano, which is also the highest mountain in Cape Verde, was particularly drastic. The lava flows buried two villages and the new health center underneath them. With the support of "Nos ku Nhos" and in cooperation with local authorities, a new, modern medical center was finally rebuilt and officially opened in May last year.

And now, at the beginning of February, two legends of the Funaná music style will be guests in the country, as Zimmermann emphasizes: "It's a small sensation that Bitori is making it to Europe again. He will be accompanied by his son Viktor and the charismatic singer Chando Graciosa, who is regarded as the best Funaná interpreter of all time." A brilliant musical experience is therefore guaranteed.