Elida Almeida
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2015 RFI Discovery Prize, solar voice of the new generation of Cape Verde.
Elida Almeida (born 15 February 1993 in Pedra Badenjo, Santiago) is a Cape Verdean singer who is raised in the rural interior of Santiago and then on Maio Island, where she supports her travelling merchant mother, forges her voice in church songs and runs a program on local radio.
Spotted by producer José da Silva, founder of Lusafrica and discoverer of Cesária Évora, she released her first album, Ora doci, Ora margos in 2014. Her song "Nta Konsigui", worn by a Portuguese television show, became a viral success and revealed it to the general public.
In 2015, she won the Prix Découvertes RFI, chaired that year by Oumou Sangaré. Her second album, Kebrada (2017), named after her childhood village, affirms her African identity by mixing batuque, funaná, coladera and tabanka with Latin energy.
Gerasonobu (2020) followed Di Lonji (2023), "by far", where she measured the journey from the Santiago campaign to the scenes of Europe, Africa and North America. Her warm voice and scenic energy made it the age of a new generation of Capverdian music.
In 2025, NPR received her for a Tiny Desk x globalFEST. In February 2026, she published Spedju, her sixth album, at Harmonia, and defended her on European tour, from New Morning in Paris to summer festivals.