(headline image: Nancy Vieira – Photo by Rita Carmo)
Nancy Vieira was born in 1975 in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau to Cape Verdean parents. She later relocated to Cape Verde. Subsequently, Nancy’s family migrated to Lisbon, Portugal when she was 14 years old.
The young vocalist leapt to prominence in Portugal as a winner of a TV talent contest in Portugal, and then spent the next ten years quietly developing her craft.
Nôs Raça was her first album. In this case, Nancy delivered a fusion of Cape Verdean, Brazilian and Caribbean influences.
Segred was released in 2004. After that, she published Lus.
In addition to her solo recordings, Nancy collaborated with various Portuguese and Cape Verdean artists such as Ala dos Namorados, Rão Kyao, and Dany Silva on an album commemorating 40 years of his career.
One of Vieira’s most significant collaborations was a recording with Portuguese pianist and composer Manuel Paulo. The duo released Pássaro Cego in 2009. The album combined pop, jazz, fado, Cape Verdean morna and chamber music, with lyrics by João Monge.
Nô Amá came out in 2012, followed by Manhã Florida, a tribute to Cape Verdean morna.
In 2024 Nancy Vieira released Gente, a tribute to the people of Cape Verde.
Discography:
Nôs Raça (Our Race) (Disconorte, 1995)
Segred (Praça Nova, 2004)
Lus (Light) (Harmonia Mundi/World Village, 2007)
Pássaro Cego, with Manuel Paulo, 2009
Nô Amá (Lusafrica, 2012)
Manhã Florida (Lusafrica, 2018)
Gente (Galileo MC, 2024)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.