I Hope You Change

A powerful document of Batuku from Santiago, Cape Verde, led by one of the tradition’s essential contemporary voices. One of Cape Verde’s oldest cultural traditions, Batuku is a communal art form bringing together hypnotic Txabéta polyrhythms, call-and-response singing in Kriolu, and the dynamic Tornu dance. Recorded in Praia in 2023, I Hope You Change captures the remarkable artistry of Taresa Fernandes and her ensemble Tradison di Terra. With a repertoire of hundreds of songs, she preserves ancestral voices while addressing everyday life, migration, memory, resistance and joy.

Mixed and mastered by Taku Unami, the album comes with a 12-page booklet featuring song lyrics in Kriolu and English translations by Elisa Tavares.