Elísio Gomes

Born on March 9, 1964, in Saltos Acima, in the municipality of Santa Catarina on the island of Santiago, Cabo Verde, he entered the world of music at a very young age. Nothing could keep him from his passion, and between household chores and school work, Elísio built guitars from oil cans and drums from everyday materials. But like most Cape Verdeans, the time soon came to emigrate, and in 1981 he moved to Lisbon to learn drums and percussion at the Conde Redondo music school. Since then he has not stopped, bringing together funaná, batuko, reggae, and kizomba, just to name a few. Elísio counts 8 albums, starting with Chuma Lopes, recorded in Portugal in 1985 with Joaquim "Fefé" Varela, and Naquêl Tempo Câ Tinha, recorded in 1989 with Papá de Betina. In 1991, he began his ongoing solo career, which took him to France and the United States. Elísio sees the sky as his limit and always does his best to spread Cape Verdean culture around the world.