Episode Six: Leaving a Legacy with Tiny Tavares
In this episode, Candida and Ruby interview Tiny Tavares, member of the soul-R&B supergroup the Tavares and carrier of the Fox Point Cape Verdean legacy. Topics of conversation include: Tiny’s efforts to revive the musical sounds core to the midcentury Fox Point neighborhood in Providence; the perils of genre categorization; Tiny’s experiences with diversity and racism in cosmopolitan Fox Point and throughout his world travels; Tiny’s vocal technique and Tavares’ harmonies; and the meaning of “legacy.” Digressions include: the relationship between paratroopers and Doo-Wop music; how Tiny got his name; finding joy and humor in moments of grief; and other exclusive content.
Episode Six Transcription Download
EPISODE RESOURCES
To see more from Tiny, you can check out:
~The Tavares website: https://tavares-brothers.com/
~Tiny’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010936814264
REFERENCES AND SOURCES
Watch Flash Tavares and Vickie Vieira perform (film by Claire Andrade-Watkins, SPIA Media): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuBG3oFL6Ss
Vickie Vieira, featured on the album So Sabi: Cape Verdean Music from New England
~”Amor da Mae” : https://open.spotify.com/track/0OwEQ0chfxDYfhqUvHpDHB?si=8e0de297bc4f45a5
~”So Sabi” : https://open.spotify.com/track/339z3jMZmBIYBmDlxfodZz?si=ceec2bc78eb04bfa
Flash on So Sabi - “Flash’s Medley” : https://open.spotify.com/track/4fWIuCAcpUaCM02ar43fAi?si=8e1bf40f4c924d97
Kriol Jazz Festival: https://krioljazzfestival.com/
Some Kind of Funny Porto Rican? - documentary about Fox Point history: https://spiamedia.com/films/some-kind-of-funny-porto-rican/
An oral history with Flash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd5P-g7kf80
Histories of Cape Verdean migration as audible in CV music - Hurley-Glowa, Susan. “Walking Between the Lines: Cape Verdean Musical Communities in North America.” The World of Music 4, no. 2 (2015): 57–81.
The Four Tops - “Baby I Need Your Loving” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUOntQocGWk
The Moon Glows - “Over and Over Again” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFnyMVC7H7Q
The Harptones - “My Memories of You” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOaPy5mUKeM
The Flamingos - “I Only Have Eyes for You” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrzusdilnKQ
The Tune Weavers - “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfy18ynhWNU
More on Cabo Verde’s history of enslavement: https://www.npr.org/2023/09/26/1201683059/the-small-island-nation-of-cabo-verde-was-once-a-hub-for-slave-trading
For more on playing club gigs: Bruce A. MacLeod. Club Date Musicians: Playing the New York City Party Circuit. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1993.
How can one vocalist contain vocal multitudes? See: Katherine Meizel. Multivocality: Singing on the Borders of Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020.
For more about Flash, Vickie, and other Cape Verdean American musicians, check out Candida’s new book, KabuMerikanus - the Sum of US: Exploring The Cabo Verde – United States Musical Connection and Legacy :
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRZJ89GN?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520
MUSIC IN THIS EPISODE
Our theme music, used with direct permission from Candida Rose, is “Kabu Verdi, Un Dia,” published by CaboAmericana publishing; lyrics are by Candida Rose, and music is by David Ndiaye. Find it on Bandcamp: https://goldenrosemusic.bandcamp.com/track/kabu-verdi-un-dia-cabo-verde-one-day. Also available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon.
The rest of this episode’s music is used with direct permission from Tiny Tavares.
The “Lembrança / Sacramente / Sodade” medley featured performances by Flash Tavares and Vickie Vieira. “Sacramente” was originally written by Flash Tavares, in the early 1950s; the authorship of “Sodade” remains a matter of debate, but is a traditional Cape Verdean morna; “Lembrança” is also a traditional morna. Flash’s CDs and tapes were produced by Tiny Tavares and recorded on Flash’s personal tape recorders.
Tiny sent us a rare recording of Flash Tavares scatting on/improvising over “What You Won’t Do For Love” by Bobby Caldwell, from his 1978 album of the same name. This song was written by Caldwell and by Alfons Fernando Kettner; and was produced and performed by Caldwell. Flash did the scatting at Christine's family restaurant and lounge In West Dennis, MA.
“Check it Out” is from the Tavares’ 1973 album of the same name. The song was written by Floyd Butler and Billy Osborne, produced by Robert Bowles, and performed by the Tavares Brothers, with lead vocals by Victor Tavares. Copyright Capitol Records.
“Don’t Take Away the Music” is from the Tavares’ 1976 album, Sky High. The song was written by Christine Perren, Freddie Perren, and Keni St. Lewis, produced by Freddie Perren, and performed by the Tavares, featuring the vocals of Butch & Tiny Tavares. Copyright Capitol Records.
FIND US
Candida Rose -
Website: https://www.candidarose.net/
Facebook: Golden Rose Music and Candida Rose
Instagram: @goldenrosemusic
To check out more of Ruby’s work, go to: https://rubyerickson.com
The Capeverdean American Community Development Center, where we record most of our episodes, has a website you can check out:
https://cacd.nationbuilder.com/.
Thanks to Brown University’s Swearer Center for funding this 2nd season of the podcast through their Mini-Grant program. Check them out here: https://www.brown.edu/academics/college/swearer/
Thank you also to the Brown University Music Department for loaning us the recording materials for this podcast!
ORKKA International:
Website: https://www.orkkainternational.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066673986226
