Update: Vadú's body was found on the morning of January 16th, he was buried the following day. The musician would have turned 33 on January 30, 2010.
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Vadú may have lost his life after suffering a car accident on the evening of Tuesday, January 12, 2010, sources told Sodade. The musician was travelling through Santo-Antão (Cape Verde) when the truck he was in veered off the road, falling more than 260 feet and sinking into the ocean. Thus far the musician’s personal belongings, his signature beret and backpack have been found at sea leading most to believe that the accident was fatal.
Born Osvaldo Arménio Dias Furtado on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde, Vadú is perhaps best known for his compelling songwriting and unwavering dedication to the revitalization of Batuku. As a former apprentice of the late legendary musician Orlando Pantera, Vadú had become part of a cluster of new artists called “generation Pantera,” highly influenced by the Batuku movement and other traditional sounds of the island of Santiago.
His debut studio album Batuku was released in 2001, the same year his mentor Orlando Pantera succumbed to pancreatitis. Two years later he joined other young musicians Dany, Princezito, and Tchéka to start the “Pantera Generation” and release the compilation “Ayan” (Yes), an album highly influenced by traditional Pantera compositions.
Vadú’s undeniable talent later led him to release Nha Raiz (2005), one of his most significant recordings to date, which counted with the participation of Cláudio Andrade (from the band of renowned singer Gilberto Gil) who lent his keyboard skills on five tracks. The album helped further lead the way for the new generation of musicians while putting great emphasis on the traditional genres of Santiago.
He was also a featured musician during summer 2007’s “La Semaine Du Cap-Vert (The Week of Cape Verde) at Place saint Germain de Prés (Paris, France) as part of a lineup that included Ferro Gaita, Gil Semedo, Lura, Mayra Andrade, Raiz di Polon, Teófilo Chantre, Tito Paris, Mário Lúcio, Guépard (Zé di Varzea), Lela Violão, and Martin Schaeffer.
Barely six months later, Vadú, would go on to introduce his second studio album, “Dixi Rubera,” inside Tabanka Mar in Praia, Cape Verde. “With all the difficulties that go into recording, this was a truly courageous move. I feel like I just won another war,” he told Sodade then on location.
With the newer intimate project, Vadú sought to create a fusion of styles far more personal lyrically. Directed by the coveted Hernani Almeida, the album earned distribution from AV Productions and soon took Vadú on a promotional tour of the U.S. “Vadú is different in terms of timber, text, and lyrics, his story is a different story, his voice is particular and his lyrics are much simpler than the others (artists),” Hernani told Sodade in 2007.
And so his career always seemed on the verge of a turning point. In the spring of 2009 he was featured on some of Portugal’s prestigious television stations broadcast internationally in many parts of the world, such as RDP África, RTP África (Radio & Television Portugal), SIC, and TVI.
Backed by a five-piece band—Jair (percussions), Lúcio (bass), Rolando (guitar), Moisés (keyboard) and Mirocas Paris (drums), the singer went on to perform at Fnac, Almada, FNAC Vasco da Gama and OndaJazz, Casa da Morna, Lisbon (sponsored by Tito Paris), FNAC Cascais, FNAC Alfragiade, FNAC Chiado, and FNAC Colombo.
Despite his growing success, Vadú remained humbly ecstatic about the opportunities to perform on both small venues throughout the archipelago and larger stages around the globe.
Said Vadú: “All stages are the same to me, they bring me happiness. Singing is a way for me to forget life’s worries, it’s like therapy.”
Prior to his accident, he had been scheduled to perform during Santo-Antão’s municipal festivities on Friday, January 15, 2010.
