Co-produced with award-winning pianist Luyanda Madope, The Butterfly Project features South African musicians Tendai Shoko, Sunnyboy Mthimunye, Lungile Kunene, Tlale Makhene, Dalisu Ndlazi, Kuki Mokubetsi, Seredeal “Shaggy” Scheepers, Byron Abrahams and Keno Carelse.
The Butterfly Project emerged from a dark, tumultuous period in Altman’s life, when she faced decisions that would reshape her future. The butterfly is not just a sweet metaphor. After moving to Cape Town, she found a wall of her home covered in black caterpillars, yet few butterflies emerged. That image inspired “Butterfly”, a plea to a survivor: “how did you come to thrive?”
“The Butterfly Project is about finding the courage to change your life,” says Altman. “I wanted the music to carry the weight of those decisions and share the energy of feeling fully alive. The music enables me to express things the words alone can’t.”
“It’s Over”, the album’s jazz-funk track, turns the pain of leaving a long relationship into a sense of release. “A Spirit Awakened” expresses the return of creative energy through an ethereal sound underpinned by a propulsive jazz groove and vocal improvisation.