Dino D’Santiago

Musician, composer, and activist, Dino D'Santiago is currently one of the most critically and popularly acclaimed artists in Portugal. Born to Cape Verdean parents, he was born in Quarteira, Algarve. He became known to the public in 2003 in an RTP talent show (Operação Triunfo), soon becoming involved in globalized urban music through various ventures into soul, R&B, and hip-hop. Always with his family as his main pillar, Dino decided to rediscover his roots and set off for Santiago Island, Cape Verde. This journey of discovery proved to be a turning point in his career: he began to focus on a new sound, fusing traditional Cape Verdean music with global electronic rhythms. In this context, in 2018, he released the album Mundu Nôbu, which blends Afro-pop with a distinct vision of futuristic funaná and electronic batuku, and became a popular phenomenon. Co-founder of the Lisboa Criola movement, he has been invited to curate various music and multidisciplinary programs, such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation's annual program, the Iminente Festival, the BoCA Biennial, and MAAT, showcasing artists from the Portuguese-speaking African-American population, particularly those of African descent. He participated in the 2023 São Paulo Biennial at the invitation of Grada Kilomba.

In this edition of LEFFEST, Dino D’Santiago is the guest for a conversation at the end of the show Exile 8125.