Lura

Born in Lisbon in 1975, Portuguese vocalist Lura entered the world as Maria de Lurdes Pina Assunago to parents from the Cape Verde islands of São Tiago and Santo Antão, spending her childhood in the city’s Creole quarter. She trained toward a career in sports education during her teenage years yet set those plans aside after being engaged as a dancer and backing singer by Juka. A duet with Bonga together with work alongside Tito Paris and Paulino Vieira led to her signing as a solo artist with Lusafrica. Although In Love came out in 2002, she regards her 2004 disc Di Korpu Ku Alma as her first “proper” album. M’bem di Fora (I Come from Far Away) appeared in 2006 and was followed by a world tour. Four Quarters Entertainment licensed and issued her next Lusafrica album, Eclipse, in North America on June 16, 2009, after which she toured the U.S. that July.