Disc of the day: 26-05-09

Lura: Eclipse (Lusafrica 562222)
Although born in Lisbon, Lura’s heritage is Cape Verdean and with her 2006 release, M’bem di Fora, she showed herself capable of being the Cesaria Evora of her generation, with an assured ability to deliver the morna style of the Atlantic island as well as ranging wider to encapsulate Portuguese popular music, Brazilian and Cuban sounds, jazz, an African flair and more.

Eclipse is, if anything, even more assured. The title track is written by B Leza, the pen name of Cesaria’s uncle and the man who has written many songs for the grand dame. It is a sumptuous piece with yearning violin, Lura reaching low in here range and one of the most seriously swaying rhythms you’ve ever heard outside of an Evora disc.

Some tracks feature the Madagascan accordionist Regis Gizavo, one other has a retro-pop chorus which suggest the innocence of early doo-wop. Maria, which Lura wrote herself, has the fast guitar led groove of a Zimbabwean popsong, and packs in a lot of words to the line. Has she been listening to some Oliver Mtukudzi, one wonders?

An album of a wide variety of styles, moods and sounds, all of them delivered faultlessly by one of the young shining stars of world music.