A few months after the release of my debut album, Lost Myself, I was invited to perform, in what has now become one of my favorite countries, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde/ Cap Vert). I wasn’t there for the Kriol Jazz Festival, which typically takes place every year in April, but I was invited to Cape Verde in July to sing for the American Independence Day festivities on July 4th as well as the Cape Verdean Independence Day festivities on July 5th. I brought along two musicians and with the support of the US Embassy in Praia we had a fantastic musical adventure throughout the country. We visited two of the ten islands that make up Cape Verde: Santiago and São Vicente.
I sang at XPTO and Zero Point Art in Praia, and at Cape Verdean musician Tito Paris’ club Casa da Morna in Mindelo. For the American Independence Day I sang at the residence of the American Ambassador in Praia and for the Cape Verdean Independence we performed in front of 8,000 people on Rua Libertadores d’Africa (formerly Rua Lisboa) in Mindelo.
What I enjoyed most was the diversity and kindness of the people (people from certain islands, like Fogo are said to be easily identifiable based on their distinct physical features)the fresh Tuna and boiled root vegetables served up daily and of course the MUSIC heard everywhere. Morna is the most popular style and most distinct to a foreign ear, but there is also Funaná, Batuque, Tabanka, Coladeira and Colá.
I can go on and on about Cape Verde and my experiences there, but pictures speak louder than words…
*Most photographs taken by Josiah Woodson
And after the official trip was over I stayed longer on my own to explore Tarrafel on the opposite end of the island of Santiago and I made this video with Cape Verdean musician and friend, Zerui Depina :
https://www.facebook.com/zerui.depina/videos/10154230962606963