Brazil and Cape Verde have always shared strong cultural and human ties.

Both nations were once Portuguese colonies, and Portuguese is their official language.

‘The sound of Cape Verdean music resonates very familiarly to Brazilian ears. Furthermore, the feeling of “saudade” inherent in “morna” – music that could be called the music of the soul for Cape Verdeans – is almost identical to the feeling of “saudade” inherent in bossa nova. I believe you can fully sense that feeling in our album too.’ (Fred)

Cape Verdean diva Nancy Vieira and Brazilian singer-songwriter Fred Martins, originally from Rio de Janeiro, met in 2013.

"My pianist friend often spoke highly of Nancy. He insisted, “You should meet Nancy.” I listened to Nancy's recordings and watched her videos. Then, I invited her to feature on my album, which I recorded in Portugal. During that session, she performed the samba flawlessly. I was deeply moved, and that marked the beginning of our long-standing partnership and friendship." (Fréderic)

Since then, the pair have collaborated on numerous concerts and recordings, culminating in this, their first album release.

The third track features the charango, but otherwise the album consists solely of Nancy's vocals and Fred's vocals and guitar.

"The guitar is an extremely important instrument for Brazilian popular music. Brazil's great musicians have created and arranged their music on the guitar. The guitar is also a vital instrument in Cape Verdean music, particularly in morna. Taking this perspective, we opted for a guitar-only recording this time." (Freddy)

The album features four original compositions by Freddy, alongside a bolero by Cuban composer Frank Domínguez, works by Cape Verdean composers, and a piece by Portuguese singer Amélia Muge.

Regarding the selection of tracks, Nancy and Freddy consciously aimed to choose pieces that, with an eye on the present era, would evoke the importance of mutual consideration and empathy among fellow human beings living on the same planet.

For example, the lyrics of the sixth track, ‘A Paz Que Nasce (The Peace That Comes)’, state:

O pão que se divide vira canção (The bread that is shared becomes a song)

A mão que se decide vence o canhão (The hand that reaches out overcomes the cannon)

Taking hands

From a multitude

Of people who love

‘When considering the state of the world and era we live in today, we wished for people worldwide to show mutual consideration and empathise with each other based on love. It was with this wish that we decided on the album's tracks’ (Nancy & Freddy)

Featuring Cape Verdean singing, known as ‘morna’ – a style rivalling Portuguese fado in its melancholy – and guitar performances rooted in bossa nova. This work masterfully blends the unparalleled beauty inherent in the music of Cape Verde and Brazil, while also being imbued with sentiments we wish to convey in this era.