N'gola (sao Tome)
Our Ancestors Swam To Shore
'Our Ancestors Swam To Shore' showcases the rarely heard music of Angolar Creole (N'gola) speakers from the African islands of Sao Tome and Principe. Many of the 5.000 residents are descendants of escaped Angolan slaves, who, as their folklore tells, swam to shore after a shipwreck off the coast. On this collection the power of music goes beyond melody, harmony and instrumentation and acts as a transcendent force to tell a people's history with a nod toward the future.