Nídia

Nídia Borges produces energetic, polyrhythmic dance tracks informed by Afro-Portuguese styles such as kuduro, batida, and tarraxinha, but maintains a distinct character all their own. Often lasting around two or three minutes, her highly inventive productions range from aggressive tracks filled with galloping percussion to more spaced-out, sophisticated pieces. Signed to Lisbon's Príncipe Discos, she has received widespread acclaim for releases such as the 2017 full-length Nídia é Má, Nídia é Fudida. Nídia was born to Cape Verdean and Guinea Bissauan parents and raised in Vale de Amoreira, Portugal, where she formed an all-female dance troupe called Kaninas Squad as a youth. She moved to Bordeaux, France in 2011, at the age of 14, and began producing music under the name Nídia Minaj, in tribute to her favorite rapper, Nicki Minaj. Over the course of the next few years, her eclectic, exciting tracks, primarily uploaded to her SoundCloud page, made waves throughout the dance music underground, and her debut recording, Estúdio da Mana ("Sister's Studio," the name of her bedroom studio as well as her crew), was released digitally by Melbourne, Australia's Brother Sister Records. Nídia soon signed to Príncipe Discos, one of Lisbon's most forward-thinking dance music labels, and released the Danger EP to critical acclaim in 2015. She also appeared on Cargaa 2, a Warp Records-issued survey of the Lisbon scene. In 2017, Nídia (no longer using the surname Minaj) released Nídia é Má, Nídia é Fudida ("Nídia Is Bad, Nídia Is Dope"), her first full-length for Príncipe. She moved back to her childhood apartment where she built a home studio, and continued to produce music and DJ around the world. She co-produced Fever Ray's track "IDK About You" and remixed songs by Elza Soares, Yaeji, and Kelela. She returned in 2020 with her second Príncipe full-length, Não Fales Nela Que A Mentes, as well as a 7" single, Badjuda Sukulbembe, which contained her two lengthiest tracks yet. Both releases were slower, more considered, and more mature compared to her earlier material. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi