I ’ m interested in your musical roots – which musicians and songwriters have been your greatest influence ? What are your favorite albums ? As a young kid , Motown black American music from Jackson Five , Marvin Gaye , Curtis , Aretha , Roberta Flack , to Donny Hathaway . With Portuguese music I loved ( everything from pop to revolution intervention , anti-regime music and Fado from the radio and Brazilian music from soap operas on TV , MPB ( Djavan / Gilberto Gil / Joao Gilberto / Jobim / Caetano Veloso / Gal costa / Betânia / Samba ). And African music from parties with the Family so there were lots of Cape Verdean , Angola , Guiné , Mozambique and São Tomé music . You also had Semba , Kizomba , Funana , Coladera etc .
I listened to artists such as Cesaria Evora , Bonga , Bana , Artur Nunes , Os Kiezos , Voz de Cabo Verde , Tito Paris , Rui Mingas , Paulino Viera , and Bulimundo . Bob Marley and Kassav were always there 🙂
During my “ discovering my roots ” phase I listened to music from Miriam Makeba , Salif Keita , Ali Farka , Fela Kuti , Ladysmith black , Oumousangare and a bit of Afro jazz .
You had an eight years hiatus between your last album Xinti and this one , why did it take so long ?
I had an illness and after that I felt tired of the music business and waited until the magic came to me again .
34 Flashmag ! Issue 146 December 2023