Mindelo and Morna Music

Mindelo, the vibrant port town on the island of Sao Vicente, is the cultural and musical soul of Cape Verde, a lively, cosmopolitan place set around a beautiful bay. It is above all a great home of morna, the archipelago's beloved national music - born, by tradition, on Boa Vista and given its São Vicente style here in the 1930s and 1940s - a wistful, soulful genre of longing and the sea recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage and carried to the world by the barefoot diva Cesaria Evora, the island's most famous daughter. Filled with music-filled bars, colonial architecture and creative energy, Mindelo also hosts Cape Verde's most exuberant, Brazilian-style carnival.

History

No one knows exactly when morna began; oral tradition places its birth on Boa Vista in the 18th century, and the oldest morna with a documented history, "Brada Maria", dates from around 1870. Early in the 20th century the poet Eugénio Tavares, on Brava, gave it the slower tempo and the romantic themes of love it still has, and in the 1930s and 1940s it took on a style of its own in São Vicente, Mindelo's island. Where the word comes from is argued over - English "mourn", the French Antilles' mornes, or most likely the Portuguese morno, "warm". Cesária Évora carried it to the world, and on 11 December 2019 UNESCO proclaimed it Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Wikipedia, Morna).

What to look for

• The morna and live music - the soulful music in Mindelo's bars.
• The Cesaria Evora legacy - the home of the beloved diva.
• The colourful port town - the colonial streets and lively bay.
• The Carnival - the exuberant February celebration.

When to go

Year-round for its music-filled bars and cultural life, but February, when Mindelo hosts Cape Verde's biggest and most exuberant carnival, is a spectacular time to visit; the music scene comes alive in the evenings. The town is easily reached by flight or ferry and pairs perfectly with hiking on nearby Santo Antao.

Practical notes

Mindelo is a working port town rather than a beach or resort destination, so its appeal is atmosphere, music and culture rather than sights or sand; to truly feel it, you need to spend an evening in its live-music bars soaking up the morna and coladeira. As the soulful heart of Cape Verdean culture, the home of morna and a joyous carnival, though, Mindelo is genuinely captivating and the emotional centre of the islands.

Nearby

The hiking island of Santo Antao is a short ferry ride across the channel.