“Legend” has it, DJ Dolores – a Brazilian producer and DJ known for his roots in mangue and baião music – challenged Batida, an Angolan artist based in Lisbon and a pioneer of the Afro-Luso electronic scene, to produce a track for a documentary about Lia de Itamaracá, a cultural icon of Brazil’s Northeast region.

The resulting track, “Tem Dor“, features the talents of Cape Verdean singer/songwriter, producer, writer, and poet Mário Lúcio, and is a beautiful and soothing tune that reflects their shared colonial history. “Tem Dor” is just one of the ten tracks on Batida’s Neon Colonialismo album, which was released in October 2022 by Belgian label Crammed Discs.

The album takes listeners on a captivating musical journey through the Portuguese-speaking world, traversing Portugal, Angola, Cape Verde, and Brazil. It showcases Batida’s unique blend of electronic beats, traditional African rhythms, and vintage samples, and features a mix of vocal and instrumental songs that highlight his talent as a composer and producer. Neon Colonialismo is Batida’s first album under his own artistic persona since 2014, and it stands as a testament to his skill as a musical storyteller.

 You can listen to and purchase the album HERE