Djodje

Hailing from Cape Verde, the singer, songwriter, and producer Djodje has become a standout presence in Lusophone music by fusing Afropop with Kizomba rhythms. First appearing in 2006, he achieved major visibility during the following decade via the chart-topping releases Check-In, Feedback, and Newborn.

Born in Praia, he grew up immersed in music because his father performed guitar with the well-known traditional Cape Verdean ensemble Os Tubarões and his mother belonged to a renowned lineage of composers and musicians. At age ten he started the boy band TC alongside his brother, his cousin, and two friends; the group scored modest success in 2001 through the single “Volta” and performed at numerous festivals. Djodje issued his first solo project, the album Semper TC, in 2006. He then spent several years in Portugal training in music production and marketing, which led him to launch his own Broda Music label. Working simultaneously as producer and artist, he delivered the follow-up album Check-In in 2010; that record brought him widespread international attention and contained the successful tracks “Proibido,” “Mon Pa Altura,” “Na Nha Sonho,” and “Close Your Eyes.” For the 2013 album Feedback he recruited several notable external producers, solidifying his standing as an Afropop hitmaker, while Newborn, released in 2019, showcased guest appearances by Jimmy P, Cuca Roseta, Mito Kaskas, Loreta, and Elji Beatzkilla. The standalone single “Bela” followed in 2020.