GRUPO PILON KEEPS THE TRADITION OF CABO VERDE’S MUSIC ALIVE WITH A CONTEMPORARY SOUND
El Palmas Music is thrilled to unveil Nu Sta Li, the vibrant new album from Grupo Pilon, the Luxembourg-based ensemble that’s been infusing Cabo Verdean music with fresh energy since the early ’90s. At the heart of their sound pulses funaná, the fast-paced, accordion-driven genre born in the sugarcane fields of Santiago—and reborn on global dancefloors through Grupo Pilon’s bold, electrifying updates.
The band’s roots stretch deep into the rich soil of Cabo Verde, a volcanic archipelago off West Africa long known for turning hardship into harmony. In the wake of the 1970s drought and economic upheaval, waves of Cabo Verdeans emigrated to Europe, carrying with them the islands’ most precious export: music. From the mournful strains of morna to the driving rhythms of batuque, and especially funaná, these styles became lifelines of cultural memory and resistance in diaspora communities.
Grupo Pilon, following the pioneering spirit of legends like Bulimundo, gives funaná a bold, modern twist. With a lineup that trades in traditional accordion for a sizzling mix of drums, electric guitar, bass, keyboards, and soulful vocals, the band fuses ancestral rhythm with cosmopolitan swagger. At the helm is Tony Furtado Gomes, the powerhouse drummer and driving force behind the band’s resurgence, steering their sound into new terrain without losing sight of its roots.
Nu Sta Li is more than an album—it’s a celebration of identity, migration, and joy. Shaped by decades of live performances across Europe and the U.S., and highlighted by a milestone show before 4,000 fans in Praia, the capital of Cabo Verde, the record bursts with eight tracks of groove-heavy, sun-soaked exuberance. It’s both a love letter to the past and a passport to the future of Cabo Verdean music.
With Nu Sta Li, Grupo Pilon doesn’t just revisit the rhythms of home—they redefine them for the world stage.
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