Art by Rachel Jones
SHARES LEAD SINGLE “TODA COR” FEATURING LUEDJI LUNA
ANAIIS & GRUPO COSMO OUT NOVEMBER 14TH
anaiis & Grupo Cosmo
PRE-SAVE: https://symphony.to/anaiis/anaiis-grupo-cosmo
French-Senegalese artist anaiis is set to release her new mini-album, anaiis & Grupo Cosmo, on November 14th. Leading up to the album, she shares her lead single “Toda Cor” featuring Luedji Luna.
This seven-track record intricately weaves together diverse cultural and musical influences, exploring profound themes such as Black identity, motherhood, birth, and the natural world. anaiis describes the album as “a sonic emergence of the person I was becoming at this moment in my life,” reflecting her personal growth and transformation. Collaborations with Brazilian artists Sessa and Luedji Luna deepen the album’s cross-cultural dimension, merging elements of Brazilian musical traditions with her own creative vision to create a rich, multi-layered sound.
For anaiis, creating this album was a transformative experience, built on a human, organic, and spontaneous approach to creating music. “We spent days on the beach, sharing meals and stories, while creating together. Every track was recorded live to tape—no computers around. By the end of the week, we had an album that captured the essence of that moment.”
On the record, anaiis collaborated with Grupo Cosmo, the Brazilian trio featuring drums and percussion, bass, and Sessa on acoustic guitar. Their sound blends the energy of a power trio with the lush traditions of Brazilian music, incorporating rock, pop, and psychedelia influences from the ’70s. They have created spacious, layered compositions, whilst balancing electric and acoustic elements, producing a fuller yet intimate sound that retains the warmth of folk and bossa nova.
Although the trio has never performed live together, their intense studio sessions fostered a fast-paced, organic creativity. The music reflects a deep connection to nature, often evoking themes of environmental awareness, beauty, and contemplation in the face of global challenges. Despite the amplification and complexity, Grupo Cosmo’s work remains grounded in simplicity and sensitivity, allowing their sound to resonate with a powerful, dynamic energy while celebrating the small moments of peace in a changing world.
The album’s roots trace back to a 2020 artist residency in Salvador, Brazil, where anaiis first connected with Grammy nominated Luedji Luna. The pair wrote “Toda Cor” in a studio after bonding over shared cultural experiences as Black women, despite their geographical differences. However, the production didn’t fully reflect Brazil’s energy until anaiis discovered Sessa’s music in 2022. The collaboration came to life in December, and by April 2023, anaiis returned to Brazil to continue working with the artists in Ilhabela, creating a truly collaborative album.
Reflecting on the first single, “Toda Cor” with Afro-Brazilian artist Luedji Luna, anaiis recalls, “I wrote the song with the wonderful Luedji Luna. Though we come from different parts of the world—Senegal and Bahia—we felt an immediate sisterhood. The song speaks to our shared Trans-Atlantic connection and creating home wherever we are.” Whilst Luedji adds, “‘Toda Cor’ is where the diaspora meets. A song where my poetry connects with the poetry of anaiis, this amazing and talented artist. An honour to be part of.”
anaiis & Grupo Cosmo
anaiis
November 14th, 2024
1. Toda Cor (anaiis, Grupo Cosmo & Luedji Luna)
2. Voyage (anaiis, Grupo Cosmo & Sessa)
3. Honeydew (anaiis & Grupo Cosmo)
4. BPE (anaiis & Grupo Cosmo)
5. A Gente Mesmo: interlude (anaiis & Grupo Cosmo)
6. Como Es (anaiis & Grupo Cosmo)
7. Finding Toda Cor (anaiis & Grupo Cosmo)
About Luedji Luna:
Luedji Luna, a singer-songwriter from Salvador, is a leading voice in contemporary Brazilian music and activism. She has released three albums, including Um Corpo no Mundo and Bom Mesmo É Estar Debaixo D’água, which earned a Latin Grammy nomination. Through her music, Luedji conveys themes of struggle, resistance, and faith, rooted in the black feminist movement and the soul of Brazil.
About anaiis:
anaiis is deeply inspired by her multicultural upbringing across cities as diverse as Toulouse, Dublin, Dakar, Oakland, and London. This background fosters a fearlessness and openness to new sounds and experimentation, as she draws from a vast range of cultural and musical traditions. anaiis’ music is a reflection of this quest, inspired by the revolutionary legacies of figures like Nina Simone, bell hooks, and Zanele Muholi—each of whom challenged conventional thinking and championed personal and collective liberation. In this sense, her artistry is both deeply personal and politically resonant, encouraging fearlessness not just in sound, but in thought and identity as well.
She self-released her debut This Is No Longer A Dream, a cathartic album featuring Chronixx, Sjava, and Topaz Jones, with art direction by Ib Kamara and Rafael Pavarotti. She has since performed alongside Erykah Badu, Daniel Caesar, and Nick Hakim, including a sold-out headline show at the Barbican.
Now embracing motherhood, anaiis is entering a new chapter, drawing inspiration from her evolving experiences as she continues to shape her future work.
anaiis is always written in lowercase as a tribute to bell hooks, a feminist author and activist known for her work on race and gender.
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