“Ndoukahakro” is the second single from Lívia Mattos’ forthcoming third album Verve, and it introduces a meeting point between Bahia and Senegal through the voice and kora of Senny Camara. The track was recorded in trio formation with Mattos on accordion and vocals, Jefferson Babu on tuba, and Rafael dos Santos on drums, interweaving Afro-Bahian rhythmic language, Algerian chaâbi inflections, and Camara’s improvisational poetry.

The title refers to a village located several hours from Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, where Mattos had travelled to perform. She describes being overcome by an inexplicable emotion, at once recalling familiar places in Bahia yet also recognising the distance created by political, ethnic, religious, and linguistic complexity. That paradox shapes the song, as accordion drones and sung phrases meet cyclical kora figures and spontaneous vocal responses.

Mattos was born in Salvador and has presented her work at international stages including Womex in Spain, Akkorden Festival Wien in Austria, Accordions Around the World in the United States, and MASA in Côte d’Ivoire. She spent eight years in Chico César’s band and has collaborated with Rosa Passos, Badi Assad, Ceumar, and Johnny Hooker. Her practice extends beyond music into sociology and circus performance, giving her projects an unusual multidisciplinary grounding. Camara, from Tataguine in Senegal, adds her own dimension to the partnership, which Mattos characterises as a bond of sisterhood that began from their first meeting.

“Ndoukahakro” opens a trans-Atlantic dialogue that will continue to unfold on Verve, a record divided evenly between songs and instrumentals. Find out more and stream the single HERE