Culture of Cape Verde

Cape Verdean culture is rich and diverse, shaped by centuries of African and Portuguese influences, and expressed through its music, language, traditions, and daily life.

A Blend of Atlantic Influences

Cape Verdean culture is shaped by the country’s unique position in the Atlantic and its history as a crossroads between Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The archipelago’s population — largely descended from African and Portuguese ancestors — has developed a Creole identity that permeates daily life, music, language, cuisine, and social customs. Although each island has its unique character, a shared cultural foundation unites them. Cape Verde’s culture is not static. It evolves through migration, diaspora influences, and contact with tourists and international partners. Yet at its core, it remains rooted in the lived realities of island life: resourcefulness, resilience, and a strong sense of belonging.

Video: Learn Cape Verdean Creole Alphabet Easily

Video: Learn Cape Verdean Creole Alphabet Easily

08.06.2015 | , ,

The only writing system officially recognised by the authorities in Cape Verde is called the Alfabeto Unificado para a Escrita da Língua Cabo-verdiana (ALUPEC), which translates to ‘Unified Alphabet for the Writing of the Cape Verdean Language’. It’s a phonetic...

Cabo Verde in a Nutshell: History, Culture, Politics & Art

Cabo Verde in a Nutshell: History, Culture, Politics & Art

23.07.2014 | , , , ,

Cape Verde comprises ten islands, of which nine are inhabited, and is located 375 miles (600 kilometres) off the coast of Senegal. The combined area of all the islands is 1,557 square miles (4,033 square kilometres), roughly the size of Rhode Island. The islands vary in geographical characteristics. Sal, Boavista, Maio, and São Vicente are flat and desert-like, with stretches of dunes. Santiago, Santo Antão, Fogo, and São Nicolau are more mountainous and arable, although all the islands have a long history of drought. They are all of volcanic origin; Fogo, the only volcano that is still active, last erupted in 1995. The capital, Praia, is on the island of Santiago, which is the largest in terms of area and population and the first settled.

“Making of the Cape Verdean” by Manuel Costa

“Making of the Cape Verdean” by Manuel Costa

13.11.2011 | ,

The Making of the Cape Verdean is a book written about Cape Verdeans who migrated from the Cape Verde Islands in the late 1800’s to the 1970’s to New Bedford Massachusetts. The book is based on the historical facts about the Portuguese colonization of the Cape Verde islands and its people located off the West Coast of Africa. The author provides the history of colonization under Portuguese rule of Salazar and how the Cape Verdean people survived famine, imprisonment, torture, politcal unrest and the abandonment of the Portuguese government.

In addition, the author gives you a voyeuristic view of what life was like growing up in the Cape Verdean community in New Bedford after they migrated to the United States. This book is a powerful recap of of Cape Verdeans from this period and location. There is no other documentation that captures the Cape Verdeans the way “The Making of the Cape Verdean” does in this book.

Cape Verde’s Empresarias: Image and Reality

Cape Verde’s Empresarias: Image and Reality

21.03.2004 | ,

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