Link: maps-inc.org/eng/banquet/2007

By Dominga Martin , Creme Magazine Editor & FORCV Contributor

Website: creme-magazine.com

What’s A Cape Verdean? Is a question I often hear after telling someone my nationality. I was born of 2 cultures and identify myself as a Cape Verdean and Black Woman. My father is Black and my mother is Cape Verdean. Long ago I stopped checking boxes about my nationality because Cape Verdean was never there, yet our country is definitely on the map! Cape Verde is comprised of 10 Islands off the West Coast of Africa. We are a mix of West African and Portuguese blood. However, Cape Verde did not gain their Independence from Portugal until 1975, which is why a lot of Cape Verdeans still refer to themselves as Portuguese…or Creole.

My great grandfather was born in Praia. When he came to this country he didn’t know English, and although he named all my grandmother’s children (and me, since I was named after my eldest Aunt and also born on Sunday) my grandmother didn’t speak our native tongue (Creole). Mainly because during the time she lived in America racism ran rampant, so to be “other” was an even bigger battle.

My great aunt Sabina, however, stayed close to our roots, often going to Cape Verdean clubs, playing Portuguese music etc. My grandmother stayed close to our heritage by way of the kitchen, often cooking native dishes like Munchupa, Canja or Jag (rice & bean dish). Me? I was stuck in the middle. 

Through out middle school, the Cape Verdean girls would always ask questions like: Why is your name Dominga? Why don’t you speak Creole if you’re Cape Verdean? I didn’t know what to say, it was a bit confusing. It was not until recently, that I’ve connected with my Cape Verdean roots, and in the oddest place- myspace! 

While on Myspace, a young artist reached out to us to review his music; his name is Shokanti. He introduced me to a young lady named Marcy DePina, who can be my sister! She turned me onto few other artsists…ChaChi and D Lopes…together they call themselves “The Movement.” Suddenly, I started meeting Cape Verdeans everywhere including Shauna Barbosa, another journalist here, who I met at the latest City of Chiefs event, here in New York. I can’t tell you how great it was to connect with people that defined who I was and what was missing. So, it got me thinking…Crème Magazine should also have a movement--a movement to enlighten others about different cultures; a movement that surpasses a month to celebrate Black History, Black Music Month, Cape Verdean Month, The Jamican Day Parade…we want to celebrate the people who make the world go round 365 DAYS A YEAR, we want to celebrate the people who make the world go round 365 DAYS A YEAR (by way of our myspace page!), because without knowledge, there is ignorance, and with ignorance comes bigotry, racism, and all the ugly-isms that make the world a hard place. So spread the word! Now, I know we can’t change the world, but we can definitely give people a little history lesson: to evoke dialogue, to enhance the lifestyle of those who’s box is not on the latest job application.

Once again it’s on!

Until,

Your Editor
Dominga Martin


Link: forcv.com/index.php?idvar=12

Ms Dominga Martin.

Great subject;whats a caboverdean?
Many people including myself has tried to address this question.
First as you already know is that Caboverdean people are a people that are mixed with many other nationalities.

There are those who have both parents who are from Cabo Verde and we have those who migrated to other parts of the world.

Many have inter-married with people from many different other countries.
Some times called mestizo or mulato.

Those who have maintain some of the character and culture of Cabo Verde and know the history and choose to say that they are Caboverdiano, that is good. Some times some people who grew up in other cultures have a different opinion about that.. I think it depends how much you are into your roots of being a Caboverdiana or Caboverdiano.

For example if a CV man who landed in New York or Boston or any other state marries an African American and that child grows up only in the culture of African American and the father assimilated into that culture and the child does not know about Cabo verde. The child will take on the posture of that culture and the environment it grew up in and that is true with any person who goes thru that assimilation process.

Most of the time being raised by a CV woman makes a difference because mom does the cooking and the singing around the house and keeps some touch with the CV family.

Ther are many CV'S that grew up let say in Harlem New York some 60 years ago grew up in Harlem most likely they accepted being Negro or what ever may have the name that folk were at the time. Unless they had some one to teach them about that history they would not know.

So many CV'S had name changes Mateus became Matthews,Gomes became Gomez or Lopes became Lopez or Fernandes became Fernandez or Leighton became Leigten. I think you can understand my point.

There was a time here in the USA many Cabo Verde people would say that they were Portuguese because the people came here under the Flag of Portugal.(Colonization) Depending on what you looked like very dark or light had a lot to do with how you were classified. Portugeses were Europeans so who was kidding who? (Racism)

What about all the CV'S that ended up in Brazil or in the West Indies 200 or more years ago from the Atlantic Slave trade routes? Back in the late 30's many CV woman went to Italy many married Italian men,have children who speak Italian & kriolu; and that is the way it is.

Today with independence only 30 years old it is a very different story folk will tell you that they are from Cabo Verde with pride.

For example how many people know that Lena Horne was Caboverdiana but she was back in the day in the Negro world,how many people know that Carmen Miranda was of CV parents?
How many people know that Sweet Daddy Grace was from the island of Brava.
Being Caboverdean is by choice if you know that you have some roots in Cabo Verde. Others will say that if you are born in Cabo Verde only; but I don't buy into that argument. The blood line of Cabo Verde people change like a Kaleidoscope. We are humanity our roots are from Africa & Portugal and many other nation the most important thing is to be the best you can be as a person. Cabo Verde is the place of origin no matter how far we rome. The food,the language,the style and your heritage from the archipelago,the Funana,Batuki,the morna and the contra-danceand all that jazz is for you to explain. If Cabo Verde is your place and your proud
of being a Caboverdiano and that is the place you can trace your roots and you want to be from that place in West Africa Your a CV. How does that grab you. My editor,for more information read Salah Mateus on the web. One CV will always know another.

Two things I will leave you with. A chinese person no matter what country they go too they are alway Chinese.

Brother Minister Malcolm X said: " Just because a cat has kitten in the oven that does not make them bisquits.

Thats all I will say my dear sister Dominga,enjoy life be happy.
May you be filled with Morabeza.
Manu Salah

Ps. One of the problems as we know is that racism and prejudice here is the USA has been and still is a factor on how some people think. The question of superiority and inferiority based on the color of a person.

The unscientific and asinine idea of of one person being superior to another by color.We find that apartheid and segregation has been been in the United States of America & Union of South Africa (Both USA.)

RACISM -- Check out Merrian Webster Collegiate Dictionary the word Black and the word White. Who is on top and who is at the bottom and why? Two wrongs don't make a right. It's a stupid senseless, unintelligent, marked by dislike and hatred,and a false attitude of grandeur.

capeverdeans are a mix of west-europeans/north-africans/west-africans. The particularity of capeverde is its proximity to Portugal which made the capeverdean population much more part of the portuguese civilisation than the african one. Capeverde had basically no link with africa during the last 500 years but was constantly linked to Portugal.

Salah, the guineans who speak criolo are probably the descendents of capeverdeans who were sent there by the portugueses in the lasts centuries. Also a lot of lancados settled there. There is also the island of curacao near brazil which speak a perfectly inteligible criolo, because cv-people/lancados settled there. Did you ever go to curacao?

Here are the facts about Cape Verdeans and Cape Verde:





From Africa Travel Chronicle:

"General Information of Cape Verde
People: Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%"
(http://africa.travel-chronicle.com/africa-travel/index.php?category_name=cape-verde/&paged=2)

From the CIA Fact Book:

"Background
The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.

Location
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Ethnic groups
Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

Languages
Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)"
(The World Factbook: Cape Verde -https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/print/cv.html)

From Wikipedia.org:
The Republic of Cape Verde or Cape Verde is a republic located on an archipelago in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa.

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Cape Verde

Most inhabitants of Cape Verde are mestiços, descendants of enslaved Africans and white Portuguese settlers. Mestiços’ European ancestors also include Spanish and Italian seamen who were granted land by Portuguese Empire and followed by Portuguese settlers and exiles and Portuguese Jews who were victims of the Inquisition. The remainder includes mostly black Africans or Europeans (most Portuguese left the country after independence). Many foreigners from other parts of the world settled Cape Verde as their permanent country. Most of them were Dutch, French, British (English), Arabs and Jews (from Lebanon and Morocco), Chinese (especially from Macau), Americans, and Brazilians (including people of Portuguese and African descent) settlers. All of these have been absorbed into the mestiço population.

More Cape Verdeans live abroad than in Cape Verde, with significant emigrant Cape Verdean communities in the United States (500,000 Cape Verdians), Portugal (80,000) and Angola (45,000). There are also significant number of Cape Verdeans in São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, France, Brazil and the Netherlands. Cape Verdean populations also settled Spain, Germany, and other CPLP countries (Brazil and Guinea-Bissau).

Culture
Main article: Culture of Cape Verde

The culture of Cape Verde reflects its mixed African and Portuguese roots. It is well known for its diverse forms of music such as Morna (like the Portuguese Fado) and the urban Angolan kizomba, and a wide variety of dances: the soft dance Morna, and its modernized version, pasada, the Funana - a sensual mixed Portuguese and African dance, the extreme sensuality of coladeira (literally "glued"), and the African Batuque dance. These are reflective of the diverse origins of Cape Verde's residents. The term "Cabo" is used to refer to residents as well as the culture of Cape Verde.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Verde#Online)

cv2k,

criolo is not a mix of portuguese and west african words, the criolo vocabulary is almost 100% based on portuguese.

There is also the arabo-berber origin of capeverdeans which is missing in all these websites.
Capeverdeans are a mix of west-europeans/north-africans/west-africans

CV2K here we go again.
I am sure that Dominga Martin will see the facts.
So let us leave sleeping dogs lie. Woof Woof!
Her grandfather was from Praia, she will see the map you sent
and she will get the message.

Creole is defined linguistically as a language
that has syntax from African languages and has
lexicon from another language such as Portuguese
or Creole. Haitian Creole has French lexicon
while Cape Verdean Creole has Portuguese lexicon
(e.g., mesa, janela, etc.). it has nothing to do with
percentages: it has all to do with the structure (syntax)
and lexical items.

criola,

there is more and more facts stating that the grammatical and the synthaxic structure of the criolo is not based on african languages.

Why? Because the reasearchers are finding that all the creoles of the world share the same gramatical and synthaxic structures although they have different origins. That's the case in hawaiian creole, mallacan, creole, taihiti creole, caraibeans creole, and capeverdean creole. There is a common basis for al of them although they are based on different languages and some are not based on african languages and share this common structuration

read these two links

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S_Antao,
Can you back up your statement with citations?
I'm willing to read any research that states that
Creole from CV, Guine Bissau, Curacao etc.
do not have syntax based on African languages.
As you can see, I'm not denying that the lexicon
is based on languages such as Portuguese, French and Dutch.
You can read reseach done by Marlyse Baptista (she has
a book out) and Michel Degraff from MIT who also has
articles published. Do you have any articles that contradict
these findings?

criola99,

I told you that researchers have found that the shyntax has a similar structure for almost all the creoles, as diverse in their origins as hawaii-creole, mallaca-creole, cape-verdean-creole.

If you want to read articles about this, just go and do the research yourself, I am sure you will learn a lot of things and you will be active on this learning process...

My friend Santo Antao.

It's anoying when somebody asks for someone to support their statement with evidences, and as usual you send people to go to hell!!!

This is supposed to be an educated and educational debate.

Making a statement such as: " There is more and more facts stating that the gramatical and sintaxic strutue of the creolo is not based on African Languages because researchers are finding it". Is really not doing it.

Please, share your knowledge! Go ahead! Support your statement with evidences. Maybe you're right, but don't ask us to do it for you, my friend. Creola is not supporting what you're saying. She is saying the oposite. Threfore, you should bring the evidences to prove your case, or you lost it, my friend.

Cabrala

Thank you

sorry I am very busy those days, and I don't have time to go into lenghty explanations. My point is that if I found that researchhers are now expositing the facts that all creole languages have a common synthasic basis and this independently of their language of origins this means that anyone else can find this information. (I just used google to do the research).

And yes now that I read all that I am convinced that creoles have a common synthaxic basis no matter their origin (hawaian crole, malacan creole, cape-verdean creole....)

I am surprise that in 2007 we still have this type of questions about our origins. I am just starting to wonder if its not just questions to justify our african rejection. Because PLEASEEEE WE ALL KNOW what a cape verdean is made of .
Fair enough we are mixed BUT we part of a continent wanted or not is AFRICA.So please start talking about real issues like poverty in cape verde....helping our people..........progressing............enviroment.........

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For anyone confused,
Just be cape verdean, from a country off the coast in west Africa with a rich mix of great people. A country we can all be proud of.
Leave the Portuguese the Indian, Arabic or any other origin we might have. That our pasts concentrate in the future. Our mixtures make us richer in culture there is nothing to be ashamed of. But stop trying to justify what we are, because the way we became it wasn't anything to be proud of. Our great grand parents fought and gave us independence. Because they wanted an identity and they left it to us.
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The truth is stronger than anything,

the truth is that we are a people from an archipelago at large of africa which has a portuguese based culture and we have mixed race origin (from portugal (whites, arabs and jews) and west africa mainly).

This is the truth and the fact that cape-verde is in africa doesn't change this truth

Don’t you have other things to fight for if is not your colour.
In all your comments I see someone defending not even a culture but a colour. You are trying to make sure that no one calls you black. And no one is trying to. Just be cape verdian because, I don’t know if you noticed but Cape Verde has a culture. If you don’t want to be part of it just move on. As you living in France just be French then and as I know the French they will all remind you that you are African. And you know what, everybody tends to call the French racist, yes they are, but I think that with frustrated people like you they should. I am ashamed from your comments when my white friends (real white not wanna be) read them and with reason, laugh. Just be your self and stop trying to alienate people with weird ideas.
Défends des vraies causes, il y a beaucoup de pauvreté a San Antao , utilise ton énergie et ton temps pour réfléchir a des solutions.

niwaynaa,

you jump to conclusions without reading carefully the message,

if you look at my previous message, I wrote that what characterises the cv is that the cv have a portuguese based culture. SO I am not talking about color but culture, that's what makes us unique,because there is mixed race people in all the americas and we are not different from these americas mixed race people. The only thing that is unique to us, is that we are the only mixed race people who have a european based culture, the other mixed race cultures have a black-african based culture. This is on what capeverde is unique. This is the truth and the truth is stronger than anything and will win.

St.Antao you don't know the truth,you are so confused about the history because you see it only from the liars that have been told for more than 500 years.

You can by all means stay in the dark (oops) sorry you don't like dark what do you do at night, sleep with all the lights on. A blind person has better sight then you do.

I hope and pray you stay alive for ever,because unless you go to hell you would burn in a lake of fire that would be so hot that it would be white heat;but if you were ever to go to heaven you would meet the Black God of the universe and that would be hell for you.

" In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form. and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said.Let there be light: and there was light."

Darkness meaning Black out of Blackness came light.

Just from a scientific point the best of soil to grow crops is black soil.

Surley you jest with us St Antao. Or perhaps you are a jester or maybe just a Jesuit interesting how all of these word follow each other in the Webster Dictionary.

The sages of the ages ask this question?
Who is the original man?
The answer is.
THE ASIATIC BLACKMAN OWNER AND MAKER;CREAM OF THE PLANET EARTH; FATHER OF CIVILIZATION AND GOD OF THE UNIVERSE.


IT IS WRITTEN THAT JESUS HAD HAIR LIKE LAMBS WOOL AND HIS FEET WAS LIKE BURNED BRASS.

HAIR LIKE LAMBS WOOL THAT MEANS KINKY HAIR LIKE DREADLOCKS AND BRASS IS DARK AND WHEN IT IS BURNED IT BECOME BLACK.

JESUS WAS A BLACK MAN A BLACK JEW FROM BLACK PARENTS.

PERHAPS YOU THINK OF HIM AS BLONDE AND BLUE EYES.

DID YOU KNOW BEFORE IT WAS EGYPT IT WAS ETHIOPIA.

DID YOU KNOW THAT QUEEN HATSHEPSUT WAS THE GREATEST WOMAN PHARAOH OF BLACK EGYPT.18 DYNASTY.

DID YOU KNOW THE GREAT SPHINX,THE PORTRAIT STATUE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH KHAFRE (AFRICAN IDENTITY GENERALLY DISGUISED BY HISTORIANS WITH THE NAME"CEPHREN"). HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK RULER TO BREAK FROM THE CLASSICAL TRADITION OF PORTRAYING ALL IMPORTANT BLACKS WITH PRONOUNCED"CAUCASOID" FEATURES.

ACTING AS THOUGH HE FORESAW WHAT THE TREND OF HISTORY WOULD BE, KHAFRE HAD HIS RACIAL IDENTITY CARVED IN THIS
SOLID ROCK FOR THE AGES. IT WAS LONG ARDUOUS LABOR THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR THEM TO CHIP AWAY THAT MASSIVE FLAT NOSE!

Have you ever heard of Queen Ann Nzinga The Great African Black Queen from Angola.

My Dear friends only if all of the truth be told. We hope that the new Portugal will tell the truth about Africa. I will just leave it there.

Remember what Amicar Cabra said:
"TELL NO LIES AND CLAIM NO EASY VICTORIES.

Manu Salah Omo-Wali Mateus