Ell cosme
Ell Cosme! Bringing His Cabo Verdean Flavor To America
By Anthony Davis
At 24, Ell Cosme is young,
full of energy and ready
for global stardom. Hailing from the beautiful
islands of Cape Verde, Ell
Cosme is a DJ, songwriter
and performer who has
just released his first single,
Koza Sab,” which exploded
on Cabo Verdean radio in a
matter of days of its release.
The song, about a potential
love that is so alluring it is
incredibly delicious (koza
sab), is now making some
motion here in the States.
“Koza Sab,” produced by Lil
Mario Studio and written by Ell Cosme featuring a rap break
by childhood friend artist Matchu.
This type of collaboration fits right into his philosophy of
creating music. “Everything is an inspiration,” says Ell Cosme.
“It just has to be the right time, the right moment, the right
second. Music comes to me all the time. So when I want to
write a song, I put down the beat, and with the rest of the song
I know exactly what to do. I just listen to the beat, and the beat
guides me.”
And the beat has been the guiding force in his life. Music has
always been his constant companion. Everywhere he went
there was music, “When growing up, we had a radio in our
home and I would listen to the music all the time,” says Ell
Cosme. “I would sing along and also with my friends. I had
one friend that I would always sing together with. Music
always meant something to me. And when I grew up, music
grew up with me. I decided to make my own songs and here I
am.”
Although “Koza
Sab” can be
described as
RNZouck—a
combination
of American
R&B and a West
African musical
form, he says
that his version
of Zouck music
is an “evolution”
of sorts, a mixture of the many
kinds of music
that moves his
soul--Hip Hop, R&B and House music. One would think that
being on the tiny islands such as Cabo Verde would limit one to
being exposed to the global cornucopia of music, but it’s quite
the opposite. “Cabo Verde is a group of 10 Islands and we have
access to the whole world of music. We’re connected to the
world, so we’ve hear music from all over. So I was exposed to all
kinds of music, Chinese, African, American, all kinds.”
As for the future, he is focusing on the next single “Amore In
The Club (Love In The Club),” which he promises will be just
as infectious as “Koza Sab.” He’s also enjoying the success of his
first music vide