After 11 months at sea, Tchiss landed back in Rome, the city that sparked the inspiration to his very first solo album: Stranger Já Catem Traboi. Accompanied by band members of Cabo Verde Novo, with whom he had previously collaborated in 1981 on their one and only LP Moreninha, Tchiss composed what he considers his musical passport. And in 1982, after a two-day session at the Pomodoro Studio in Sutri, Stranger Já Catem Traboi was recorded. Drawing from his personal and collective experience, Tchiss sings of the hardships of finding a job abroad and getting an education, of love that comes and goes and other people’s judgment, of the tragic loss of lives at sea: themes from 40 years ago, yet so relevant today. More than an album, Stranger Já Catem Traboi is a journey through the layered life and music of Tchiss Lopes.

Tchiss Lopes

With music in his finger tips and football in his feet, Narciso “Tchiss” Lopes was born on the São Vicente island of Cape Verde on July 27th 1959. Surrounded by the island’s vibrant musical scene, Tchiss began playing guitar at the age of 6, and when he was not playing music, he was playing football for one of Mindelo’s best teams.

Soon enough, at the beginning of 1980, the political situation pushed Tchiss to emigrate at the age of 21. With his heart full of hope and ambition, he moved to Portugal and then to Rome, where he obtained an 11-month contract on a Greek cargo ship. As his father before him, Tchiss became a man of the sea, and his first world tour thus began: from Civitavecchia to Lagos, Nigeria to Senegal, Poland to Scotland, all the way to his dream land, Brazil. Experiencing the sounds of Brazil on his own skin, Tchiss returned to Rome, where his musical career finally exploded.

Tchiss toured Italy from north to south, playing in cities such as Milan, Rome, Naples and Palermo, and brought his music all over Europe: in the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Luxembourg and Germany, to name a few. He defines himself a musical communicator and never stops spreading his music and love all around the globe.