Denver – Lura last performed at Swallow Hill with her six-piece band in February to a packed house. This time she returns with her brand new CD, M'Bem di fora! The new CD features 13 Coladera, Funana, Tabanka and Batuku songs based on traditional musical styles from the Cape Verde Islands. Lura brings these new tunes to life through her electrifying performances and the intoxicating rhythms of the traditional African songs that she performs.

A recipient of two nominations from the BBC Planet awards for Best "African Artist" and "Best Newcomer," Lura has made an appearance on CNN featured as one of Africa's rising musical stars. Lura is as young as the country of her roots. Cape Verde split away from Portugal in 1975, the year she was born in Lisbon. An archipelago of ten main islands and a half-dozen islets, Cape Verde is isolated from the rest of the world. However, Cape Verde’s estrangement form the world is the rest of the world’s musical gain. Because the islands are separated by vast distances, each island has developed its own distinct identity and culture. As a result, Cape Verde offers an unprecedented treasure trove of rich, musical diversity. Known for her sultry caramel vocals and buoyant live performance, Lura is expected to be the biggest thing since Cape Verde’s celebrated singer Cesaria Evora.

Of her U. S. recording debut, Di Korpu Ku Alma, Mark Jenings from the Washington Post writes, “Lura can deliver such irresistible material without sounding like she’s auditioning for a Vegas gig … The slicker tunes are easily offset by the buoyant rhythms and wry lyrics that characterize Lura’s music at its best.” “Lura’s voice has the depth and sultriness of Toni Braxton with a much more refined delivery and broader range of expressions. Her elegant stage presence is matched by her top-notch-band.” –Associated Press.

For tickets visit www.swallowhillmusic.org or call (303) 777-1003. Discounts are available for Swallow Hill members.

About Swallow Hill Music Association:
Helping people make music since 1979, Swallow Hill Music Association is one of the largest institutions of its kind in the United States as a source for folk, roots and acoustic music. With more than 2,100 members—some of whom are also volunteers—, Swallow Hill provides a place to celebrate music that is rarely heard elsewhere in the Rocky Mountain Region. Three concert venues house more than 150 performances a year, featuring some of the world's great artists as well as up-and-coming new talent. The Julie Davis Music School at Swallow Hill provides a valuable and affordable extra-curricular educational resource to the community with more than 50 music instructors involved in more than 240 adult classes and 70 children's classes annually.

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