Culture and People of Cape Verde

Cape Verdeans originate from a mixture of African and European cultures. Their way of life has been heavily influenced by their environment, the socio-economic events of being a Portuguese colony and by the slave trade.

Cape Verdeans range from the very dark-skinned to the very fair. On Fogo Island, there is even a community of farmers who trace their ancestors to a French Duke.

More than half a million Cape Verdeans live abroad. Between 1820 and 1920 around 40,000 Cape Verdeans emigrated to America, many of them as crew on whaling boats. They were escaping famine and drought and today there are more than 400,000 Cape Verdeans living in the United States.

The largest community is in New England with many of them being second and third generation immigrants. The famous US Rhythm and Blues band the Turnpikes (later Tavares) were all sons of Cape Verdean immigrants.

The origins of the Cape Verdean are linked directly to maritime trade of slavery. They are descendents of slaves and traders from the West Coast of Africa and European merchants. The white Europeans were mostly descendents of Italian traders and Portuguese settlers and colonialists.

The Cape Verdean music is strongly influenced by Africa and Brazil. It plays a key role in daily life. The sounds of the Cape Verdean ‘Morna' can be heard all over the islands. It is a slow, sad, traditional song and comes from the English word to ‘mourn'. Annual music festivals have become high profile events, attracting prominent musicians from all over the world. The standards of live music in Cape Verde are noticeably high.

Cape Verde has earned a reputation for its poets and writers who are celebrated in particular in the Lusophone (Portuguese speaking) world. Germano Almeida, perhaps the best known contemporary Cape Verdean writer, has been translated into English and one of his books was made into a film.
As well as numerous celebrated poets, the Claridade movement of the 1960s was famous throughout Europe and Lusophone Africa. Cape Verdean revolutionary writers rebelled against the imperial presence using the Claridade literary circular as a vehicle for communicating their discontent.

The pace of life in Cape Verde is slow and relaxed, as in the Caribbean or Latin America. Things are generally not done in a hurry so it is truly a place to unwind and relax. Visitors invariably comment on how friendly and welcoming the local population is.

Culture and People of Cape Verde – Last updated June 2008