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Contents A gem of an album, a brilliant fusion of Brazilian and Cape Verdean music! Nancy Vieira & Fred Martins "Esperanza ~Hope~" Released April 23, 2025 | RES-352 | List Price \3,300 (\3,000 excluding tax) | POS 4525506003059 Recorded in Lisbon in January 2025 | Japan pre-release Includes a 40-page booklet (lyrics and translations, album and song explanations, and a message from the artists) Also includes "Saiko Dayo" (It's the best!), a song born in Cape Verde with a Japanese title! Album Contents Brazil and Cape Verde originally had strong cultural and personal ties. Both countries were formerly Portuguese colonies, and their official language is Portuguese. "The sound of Cape Verdean music is very familiar to Brazilian ears. Also, the feeling of 'sodade' inherent in 'morna,' which can be called the music of the heart for Cape Verdeans, is almost the same as the feeling of 'saudade' inherent in bossa nova, and I think you will be able to feel that feeling fully from our album," (Fred). Cape Verdean diva Nancy Vieira and singer-songwriter Fred Martins, who hails from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, met in 2013. "A pianist friend of mine often talked about Nancy, and he told me, 'You should meet Nancy.' I listened to Nancy's recordings and watched her videos, and then I invited her to record an album I was making in Portugal. She sang the samba perfectly on that recording. I was so impressed, and that's where our long-lasting partnership and friendship began," (Fred). Since then, the two have collaborated on numerous concerts and recordings, and now they have released their first album together. The third track features a charango, but the rest of the album consists solely of Nancy's vocals and Fred's vocals and guitar. "The guitar is an extremely important instrument in Brazilian popular music. Great Brazilian musicians have created and arranged their music using the guitar. In Cape Verdean music, especially Morna, the guitar is also a very important instrument. With that in mind, we decided to record only guitar this time," (Fred). The album includes four original compositions by Fred, a bolero by Cuban composer Frank Dominguez, works by Cape Verdean composers, and a piece by Portuguese singer Amelia Muge. When selecting the songs, Nancy and Fred were conscious of choosing songs that would remind us of the importance of caring for and empathizing with one another as human beings living on the same planet, looking ahead to the present age. For example, the lyrics to the sixth track on the album, "A Paz Que Nasce (Peace That Comes)," go: O p?o que se divide vira can??o (The p?o that is born from sharing) A m?o que se decide vence o canh?o (The hand that can be overcome if you reach out) Pegando na m?o (Holding hands) De uma multid?o (The hand of a crowd) De gente que ama (The hand of people that love) "When we thought about the state of the world and the times we live in right now, we hoped that people all over the world would care for one another and empathize with one another based on love, and we decided on the songs for the album based on that wish" (Nancy & Fred). The album features melancholic Cape Verde vocals, known as "Morna," which is comparable to Portuguese Fado, and guitar music based on bossa nova. This album beautifully fuses the unparalleled beauty of the music from two countries, Cape Verde and Brazil, and is filled with messages that we want to convey to the present age. Tracklist: �ö@ N?o Sou Daqui (Even If I'm Not From Here) (Lyrics and music by Am?lia Muge) This song, which sings that everyone has an irreplaceable place to belong, is a work by Am?lia Muge, a Portuguese singer, composer, and lyricist. �öA Colibri (Hummingbird) (Lyrics and music by Marcelo Diniz/Fred Martins) Fred says, "I wrote this song thinking of the people in my country who are surviving through difficult times. When life is tough, I want to overcome difficulties and survive by not forgetting cheerfulness and joy. I wrote this song thinking of the colibri, or hummingbird, which is said to be a bird that brings happiness." �öB Saiko Dayo (It's the Best!) (Lyrics and music by Greg?rio Gon?alves) This song with a Japanese title was born in Cape Verde and originated in the 1960s and 70s in Cape Verde, a port of call for Japanese tuna fishing boats, and was created from interactions with Japanese sailors. "We arranged it using the form of a carnival march as a motif. This arrangement is also close to the rhythm of the Cape Verdean music 'Corladeira'," says Fred. There is also a carnival group called "Saiko Dayo." A member of this group says, "We are the ones who can throw the best party!" �öC Proeza (To Love) (Lyrics and music by Marcelo Diniz/Fred Martins) Fred says, "We thought about what we can leave behind and what we can pass on to the world and future generations. This song is about what a father wants to pass on to his newborn child." It sings that everything becomes valuable when you love it. �öD Querida (My Beloved) (Lyrics and music by Manuel d'Novas) This is a standard song that has been sung in Cape Verde. "It has a rich poetic sense and a delicate melody. I arranged and performed this song with bossa nova in mind." (Fred) �öE A Paz Que Nasce (Peace That Comes) (Lyrics and music by Alexandre Lemos/Fred Martins) Samba is music that is an identity for Brazilians and is also a part of the music of Cape Verde. Samba has its roots in the slave system that lasted in Brazil for 400 years. "In contrast to the modern age where wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few, I used samba as a motif to create a song that conveys what I wanted to say." (Fred) �öF Mar Azul (Blue Sea) (Lyrics and music by Francisco Xavier da Cruz) This is a standard song that has been sung in Cape Verde and was a song that Nancy really wanted to include on the album. In this song as well, Fred tried to arrange and perform it with bossa nova in mind. �öG Nem Carnaval (No Carnival) (Lyrics and music by Te?filo Chantre) This song, dedicated to the great guitarist Vaiss, who has worked with Nancy for a long time, has lyrics that evoke the COVID-19 pandemic. �öH Esperan?a (Hope) (Lyrics and music by Bilan) Nancy says of this song, "The lyrics of this song contain many things that we wanted to convey as the theme of this album. Tolerance for others, people all over the world coexisting together, and so on." This song was written by Bilan, who is from San Vicente Island in Cape Verde. �öI T? Me Acostumbraste (I'm Dyed in Your World) (Lyrics and music by Frank Dominguez) A beautiful Cuban bolero. "In this song, I convey the affinity between Cape Verdean and Cuban music, as well as the affinity between Brazilian and Cuban music." (Fred) �öJ Trago Risos (A Smile) (Lyrics and music by Fred Martins) "This is a song about my grandson. My grandson was laughing from the bottom of his heart and full of joy. Interacting with him gave birth to the lyrics of this song. The laughter you hear in the song is also that of my grandson, Caleb." (Fred) Nancy Vieira Profile Born in 1975. At the age of 14, her father was appointed as the Cape Verdean ambassador to Portugal, and she moved to Lisbon with him. After winning a song contest, she released her first album in 1996. Her second album in 2004 and her third album in 2007 were huge hits. In 2013, she released her fourth album, "Rhythm of the Breeze, Song of Love," in Japan. His 2024 album was ranked second in Music Magazine's "Best World Music Albums of 2024" category. He is highly regarded as one of the leading singers of his country, alongside the late Ces?ria ?vora, the "barefoot diva," who was also from Cape Verde. Fred Martins Profile Born in Rio de Janeiro, he is an outstanding singer, guitarist, and songwriter among Brazilian artists of his generation, and has built his career influenced by bossa nova, samba, and Brazilian popular music (MPB). In 2019 and 2021, he held duo concerts with cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, which attracted considerable attention. He has also written for many artists such as Maria Rita and Z?lia Duncan. Furthermore, his own original albums have also received high praise. He has been living in Lisbon since 2017. Recording: Jorge Cervantes (Lisbon): January 2025 Mastering: Mitsuichi Tanaka (Tokyo): January 2025 Media Reviews and More Cape Verde diva Nancy Vieira recorded this highly anticipated world music album of 2025 with rising Brazilian artist Fred Martins. The album features a diverse selection of songs chosen with love and peace in mind, including traditional Cape Verde tunes, masterpieces by Cuban composer Frank Dominguez, classics by Portuguese singer Amelia Mulje, and original compositions. (C)RS