Lura, born Maria de Lurdes Pina Assunção (born 1975 in Lisbon, Portugal) is… Read Full Bio ↴Lura, born Maria de Lurdes Pina Assunção (born 1975 in Lisbon, Portugal) is a singer and musician. Born in Portugal to Cape-Verdian parents, she considers herself as a Cape-Verdian. Her compositions are based on traditional Cape-Verdian music as for example the Morna, Funaná and Batuque, and influenced by African and contemporary Western music.

Lura was born in Portugal to Cape-Verdean parents in 1975. Her father came from Santiago and her mother from São Nicolau. Initially she wanted to become a dancer or a swimming instructor. She became a singer at the age of seventeen when Juka, an artist from São Tomé and Príncipe, asked her to sing a duet with him for a music album. The album became a success, and subsequently she participated in productions by artists such as Bonga, Tito Paris, Paulo Flores and Paulinho Vieira.

In 1996 she recorded her first album Nha Vida with her own compositions. In 1997 she participated in the AIDS awareness project Red Hot + Lisbon among famous artists such as Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Djavan, Bonga and Teresa Salgueiro. Further album productions and concerts all over Europe followed. In 2007 she sang her song Morna in the film Fados by Spanish film director Carlos Saura.

Tabanka Assigo
Lura Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hielele le le le...
Hielele le le le...

Tabanka di tchan di tanki
Djunta tabanka Axada Lêti
Es riuni ês tôma troka
Pâ manifesta somada

Hielele le le le...
Hielele le le le.

E bonitu pêga mudjêri di saia gaita gaitaa
Omi ku kalsa ramangadu, ôtu ku krus na mon,
Oto ku bandêra, ôtu ku spada... Sima Tiriva n'ton,
Pé na tchon, pé rixu ta masa spinhu tâ bâi.
Dipôs pâ bu odja kês mudjeris tudu na renki si
Ku munti fita, di munti kôris, sima vêrdi, marelo,
Kôr di roza, kastanhu, branku...

Mas más brunitu inda ê pâ odjãs ta konta
si... assi... assi...

Overall Meaning

The song "Tabanka Assigo" by Lura is a celebration of Cape Verde's carnival culture. The lyrics describe the gathering of a "tabanka," which is a group of people who come together to celebrate and dance during carnival season. The first verse describes the meeting point of the tabanka, which is at "tchan di tanki" in the neighborhood of Axada Lêti. The second line suggests that the tabanka is made up of people from different backgrounds, who come together to dance and manifest their joy.

The chorus of the song is composed of the words "Hielele le le le," which are often used in traditional Cape Verdean music as a way to encourage people to dance and move their bodies. The second verse describes the colorful costumes worn by the participants in the tabanka. Men wear pants and shirts, some with a cross on them, while others carry flags or swords. Women wear long skirts and gaitas, a type of traditional blouse. The lyrics suggest that the colors of the costumes are varied, including greens, yellows, reds, and whites.

Overall, "Tabanka Assigo" is a celebration of Cape Verdean culture and the joy of carnival. The song highlights the importance of coming together as a community, regardless of differences in background, to celebrate and dance together in the spirit of joy and unity.

Line by Line Meaning

Hielele le le le...
Repetitive chanting to set the tone of celebration and joyfulness.

Tabanka di tchan di tanki
A traditional dance with drums and rhythms that represents the African roots in Cape Verde.

Djunta tabanka Axada Lêti
A group coming together in the town of Santa Cruz to celebrate tabanka.

Es riuni ês tôma troka
The people unite and exchange different parts of their costumes for the sake of diversity and unity.

Pâ manifesta somada
To express themselves in a lively and unified way.

E bonitu pêga mudjêri di saia gaita gaitaa
The beauty of a woman wearing a colorful skirt and playing the accordion.

Omi ku kalsa ramangadu, ôtu ku krus na mon,
Men dressed in colorful pants and others carrying the cross on their shoulders.

Oto ku bandêra, ôtu ku spada... Sima Tiriva n'ton,
Some holding the flag and others holding swords, like a scene from the traditional story of Tiriva.

Pé na tchon, pé rixu ta masa spinhu tâ bâi.
Everyone steps to the ground, rattling their bodies together in a unified movement.

Dipôs pâ bu odja kês mudjeris tudu na renki si
Then, you can see all the women dancing together, matching each other's steps.

Ku munti fita, di munti kôris, sima vêrdi, marelo,
Wearing many different colors and patterns, like green, yellow, and many others.

Kôr di roza, kastanhu, branku...
Colors like pink, brown, and white can also be seen.

Mas más brunitu inda ê pâ odjãs ta konta
But even more beautiful things are left to be seen.

si... assi... assi...
Just like that...

Contributed by Ruby P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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