95 MINDJERES

Released

Lisbon’s Príncipe Discos imprint has been zealously championing and promoting its homegrown scene of batida producers from the African diaspora (Angola, Cape Verde, and Guinea-Bissau mostly) for well over a decade now, casting a loose, wide net for rhythms such as kuduro, zouk, batucada, kizomba, tarraxinha, and house. And while Afrobeats and Amapiano may have made more international inroads, Portugal’s batida scene keeps it moving. Nídia might be the closest thing to a breakout star, with her work regularly blipping over to the weird outer fringes of electronic dance music, most notably with beats made for Fever Ray, Yaeji, Perfume Genius. Her third album solidifies placement in both worlds, with a refrain of “get that money” echoing throughout. She draws on her roots in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, the title a reference to the 95 female freedom fighters who played a crucial role in Guinea-Bissau’s fight for independence. Tracks like “Caiomhe,” “Sukuku” and “ABCD” move at a slightly slower pacing, but feature drums both solid and slippery. Nídia’s programming both hits the solar plexus and artfully diverts around pleasure zones before landing, heightening the thrills of the set.

Andy Beta