Culture of Cape Verde

The Culture of Cape Verde is rich, with a range of customs and practices common in the islands,

Cuisine

One of the most important aspects of Cape Verdean culture is the beverage grogue, a strong rum made from distilled sugar cane on the islands of Santo Antao and Santiago. The beverage is made in towns such as Paul on Santo Antao and Cidade Velha on Santiago using a trapiche. A variation of the drink is ponche (punch) which is sweeted with condensed milk or sugarcane molasses. Due to the intoxication on consuming grogue, it is consumed by many Cape Verdean musicians seeking inspiration.[1]

Milho (corn) and feilao (beans) are staples of Cape Verdean cuisine. Also popular are arroz (rice), batatas fritas (fried potatoes), mandioca (cassava), and vegetables such as cenoura (carrots), couve (kale), abobora (squash) and fish and meat such as atum (tuna), serra (sawfish), lagosta (lobster), frango (chicken), porco (grilled pork) and ovos (eggs). One legacy of the Portuguese on the islands is olives and Alentejo wines which are still imported.[2] One type of Cape Verdean stew is a cachupa which includes mashed maize, onions, green bananas, manioc, sweet potatoes, squash and yams.[3]

Music

A group playing Morna.
Main article: Music of Cape Verde

Cape Verde is known internationally for Morna, a form of folk music usually sung in the Cape Verdean Creole, accompanied by clarinet, violin, guitar and cavaquinho.[4] The islands also feature native genres such as funaná, batuque, coladeira, and mazurka.[3] Cesária Évora is perhaps the best internationally known practitioner of morna. One of Cape Verde's most famous stars, on her passing, one Cape Verdean restaurateur stated that she was "more important than our flag".[5]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. Flood, Callie (July 2010). Cape Verde (Other Places Travel Guide). Other Places Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-9822619-2-7.
  2. Ham, Anthony (2009). West Africa. Lonely Planet. p. 233. ISBN 978-1-74104-821-6.
  3. 1 2 Falola, Toyin; Jean-Jacques, Daniel (14 December 2015). Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society. ABC-CLIO. pp. 192–7. ISBN 978-1-59884-666-9.
  4. Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Music. Gyan Publishing House. 2005. p. 456. ISBN 978-81-8205-292-5.
  5. Stewart, Murray; Irwin, Aisling; Wilson, Colum (5 June 2014). Cape Verde. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-84162-495-2.
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