Bertania Almeida breaks new ground with Descobri.

The Cape Verdean singer performed at the Palace of Culture during the Atlantic Music Expo.

“I discovered music very early. Ever since I was a little girl. I have very strong memories of Tarrafal de San Nicolau where I was born. My father played in our backyard and I sang. I I grew up in this environment a lot of music, especially Cape Verde. We went to live in Sao Vicente, I was about twelve years old, my parents signed me up for a competition for young singers, in the end I won first place, “the singer recalls.

Music has always accompanied her and when she left to study in Coimbra she was part of a group of musicians and students from Cape Verde. “We have given many concerts. Not only in Coimbra, but also in other cities. We were very fond of the public, the inhabitants of Cape Verde who lived there. In a way, they wanted to be closer to the ground, and music was the way,” says Bertania Almeida.

In 2019, the singer decided to take a more decisive step in her musical career. “For many years I have been associated with my field of study: architecture. Music was always present, I did not give myself a place for public performances. I met Bau and approached him about my desire to record a record with only voice and guitar,” says the singer, who worked with the guitarist with whom she recorded the album, which she called Descobri. “Because it shifts that phase , which is so important to me. The music re-experience phase, I thought the title was a good fit.”

One of the songs on the album is “Um Porta Aberte” written by Vasco Martins. “It’s one of the themes that best conveys the phase I’m going through. She talks about making a decision. The courage to leave our comfort zone and go to other horizons,” says Bertania Almeida.