Interview with Nelson Freitas

We had the pleasure of interviewing Nelson Freitas over Zoom video!After teasing us with two sensational singles, the Cape Verdean icon Nelson Freitas has released his long-awaited seventh album Black Butterfly via AWAL.A revelatory new record featuring a star-studded line-up of producers and songwriters, Black Butterfly is a masterful fusion of the signature sounds Nelson has built a legacy on during his multi-decade long career as a sonic boundary pusher, while also pushing forward with an experimental new sound for the star.While the Dutch artist of Cape Verdean heritage is no stranger to the scene, Nelson’s new music reintroduces him with an evolution of his previous output. As a legend in the scene, Nelson has amassed a global fanbase over the years for his unique sound fusing Kizomba and Zouk with R&B and hip-hop – all of which are elements of the ‘mainstream’ Afrobeats sound audiences of today have become familiar with, which is something Nelson heavily leans into on Black Butterfly.As the follow-up to Nelson’s 2021 album Dpos D’ Quarentena – home to his Mr Eazi assisted hit “Tellin’ Me Something” – Nelson has assembled an impressive team of some of the most prominent producers in the Afrobeats scene for Black Butterfly. With a clear vision in mind for his record to create a ‘new sound’, Nelson worked with in-demand hitmakers like Blaisebeatz (BNXN, Davido, Victony, CKay) and Nigerian super-producer Ozedikus (Rema, Oxlade) to deliver a body of work that sonically shows him in his true form.A record several years in the making, Black Butterfly also hears Nelson team up with the Grammy-nominated Afrobeats pioneer Kel-P on standout track “Satisfy You,” as well as the likes of Daecolm Holland (Adekunle Gold) who appears on “Don’t Let Me Go” and co-wrote the title track with Nelson alongside Arrow Benjamin (Beyoncé), J.Sol and Mohombi.Elsewhere, the dark and mysterious “Nightcrawler” takes place as another major highlight from Black Butterfly, with Nelson smoothly gliding over the Masterkraft helmed beat and treating us to his signature vocal tones.Black Butterfly is preceded by the single “Hero” (watch), racking up over 3M views with its stunning music video which stars the Angolan-Portuguese international supermodel Sharam Diniz and emphasizes those moments in life when we must let go of even those we hold the closest. “Hero” has seen major airplay via DJ Edu on BBC Radio 1Xtra and was also selected by UK tastemaker VIPER Magazine as one of their ‘Essential’ picks.As the title track and second single of Black Butterfly, “Black Butterfly” was originally conceived by Nelson whilst at a writing camp hosted by the legendary producer Teddy Riley (Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson) in Cabo Verde. Relaying a story of a sweet love affair, the swaying Afro rhythms of “Black Butterfly” are elevated by lush strings arranged by Portuguese musician Tiago Machado and has seen radio airplay across the UK including BBC 1Xtra and Wizard Radio, as well as playlisted by Noctis Magazine for their ‘Best of the Week’ selects.Meanwhile, the luxurious “Black Butterfly” music video was directed by André Caniços and pictures a suavely styled Nelson against a backdrop of dancers and futuristic architecture amongst epic Cape Verdean greenery – a stunning juxtaposition between the modern and the classic, surely serving as the perfect representation of Nelson’s forward-thinking yet timeless sounds.Speaking about his album, Nelson Freitas said the following: “I've been waiting for this album for ten years and it's a project where I truly found myself. It's something I've been working on for a long time and I believe the time has finally come. I looked for the best Afrobeats producers and composers in the world, and only with them did I feel complete enough to take this leap.”During his award-winning and...