For years, Bitori and Chando Graciosa have held the crown as the greatest musicians from Cape Verde with their uplifting, infectious, sophisticated and at the same time raw dance music. So it’s no wonder they are considered to be the king and prince of Funaná music. During an exclusive concert at GROUNDS on January 18, they will show you why.

In 1954, 16-year-old Victor Tavares – better known as Bitori – crossed the sea from Cape Verde to São Tomé and Príncipe with one big dream: to buy an accordion. After two years of hard work and saving money, he finally managed to purchase his most valuable possession ever. The two month journey back to Santiago, his island of birth, proved time enough to master the art of playing the accordion. Bitori developed his own style that quickly caught the attention of the older generation: Funaná was born. But under the Portuguese regime, Bitori’s talent remained a closely guarded secret for a long time.

After Cape Verdean independence in 1975, Funaná experienced a revival in a renewed form, but in the mid-1990s a counter-movement turned back to traditional Funaná. Key figure was Chando Graciosa, a young singer from Tarrafal. Upon hearing Bitori, Graciosa immediately felt drawn to Bitori’s unique playing style – a raw and passionate sound accompanied by honest lyrics that reflected the harsh reality of the Cabo Verdean working class. Together with Bitori, he took off on a mission to make Funaná known outside Cape Verde.

In 1997, this led to the joint project to immortalise on record the sound Bitori had formed over four decades. Powered in part by a formidable rhythm section, ‘Bitori Nha Bibinha’ became a huge success and Bitori’s songs quickly became classics. At GROUNDS, they will all come back to life: mission accomplished!