Get to know Cremilda Medina, one of the great artists of popular music in Cape Verde.
Cremilda Medina is part of the new generation of popular/traditional Cape Verdean music, in the style of Morna and Coladeira, continuing the musical essence of these styles marked worldwide through the voice of Cesária Évora, among many others.
Morna, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco is Cremilda’s guiding star and the musical style with which she most identifies.
Cremilda was born in Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente, in Cape Verde, in the midst of a humble family that has always had music at home through the radio that the parents listened to very often. From an early age, she started singing at some events at school.
When she was 9 years old, she shined at the gala of younger Singers in S. Vicente and at age 14 she integrated the youth music group “Rytmos” which entertained at parties and social events on the island. At 19 years old, Cremilda became part of the musical band “Noites of Mindelo“.
Her name becomes known to the general public when she became one of the finalists of the musical contest “Talentu Strela”, a program and television show looking for new talent. Cremilda participated in the first and second editions, and in the latter obtained the maximum score from the jury, placing her in third position on the overall.
Cremilda also won the Prize for Best Female Performer at the “Mindel Premio” gala, in 2011.
In late 2017, she edited her first album called “Folclore”, where she explores traditional rhythms, especially the morna and coladeira, but where she also ventures into fado, in a composition “Sou Crioula” with the writer’s lyrics José Eduardo Agualusa and music by Ricardo Cruz, a producer who has worked with renowned Portuguese fado artists such as Mariza, Dulce Pontes and António Zambujo.
This album received the best reviews, having been distinguished with national and international awards, such as the “Best World Music” award won in the USA, “Best Morna 2017”, “Sapo Award 2016” and “Sapo Award 2017” in Cape Verde.
After his first album received magnificent reviews, Cremilda released in October 2018 the first single from the next album. This first single in a duet with the singer Tito Paris is a beautiful Morna and has already been distinguished with the international award for “Best World Music” in the USA.
She shared the stage with big names in the music of Cape Verde as Morgadinho, Tito Paris, Diva Barros, Titina Rodrigues, Boy Gê Mendes, Grace Évora, Mirri Lobo, Boss AC, and international singers as the Brazilian Diogo Nogueira, the Angolan Heavy C, the Italian Rossana Casale and the singer Shaudeh Price.
For the second consecutive year, the Cape Verdean artist won the category of “Best World Music” in the USA and in 2019 also deserved the nomination for the “We are Cape Verde – Best of the Year” awards in the “Music” category.
At the moment, Cremilda is in the production phase of her next album, with no definite edition date yet. On September 5, Cremilda Medina will give a concert in Oeiras, at Fábrica da Pólvora de Barcarena, at 10 pm, with all the distance and hygiene rules enforced. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the singer live.
Watch in the video below the concert in Live Stream that Cremilda gave last June 5th next to Humberto Ramos at the piano, in the Municipal Auditorium of Cinfães, Portugal.
