Cape Verde: An Archipelago of Music

Those who live on this Atlantic Archipelago have been torn away from both Europe and Africa. They are imbued with saudade, the nostalgia born from separation. From hardships, the Creole language, and cross-bred poetry and culture were born, which the music from the various islands of Cape Verde is now taking over the seas.

Cape Verde appeared for the first time on a geographical map in 1460 when this uninhabited archipelago was discovered by Portuguese sailors some five hundred kilometres off the coast of Senegal. Cape Verde history began a few years later, with the settlement of poor colonists and adventurers sent by the Portuguese Crown, followed by slave deportation from Africa, in order to cultivate the islands' mostly dry and barren land. Finally, on July 5th, 1975, after five centuries of Portuguese domination, Cape Verde obtained its independence.

The identity of Cape Verde is based on the forced meeting between the dominating, colonising culture of the Portuguese masters, and the few scattered elements of various African cultures which were clandestinely passed on through generations of slaves. Today Cape Verde inhabitants, or emigrants, are all proud of their rich heritage of music and poetry, born from these confrontations and mixtures, and the morna -now famous throughout the world- has become its best ambassador.