At Sea
Connections are what an expedition like this is all about. Yesterday, we were in the Cape Verde Islands, proudly independent from Portugal for a generation. A slave center throughout the eighteenth century, today's population is a mixture of African and European. The main crop on the island, however, comes from the New World: maize. Were it the only gift of the native peoples of the Americas to the rest of the world they should earn our undying gratitude, for without maize today's levels of animal or human population could not be supported.
Cape Verde is also celebrated for its distinctive musical tradition, also a product of transatlantic connections. Listen for the soulful lyrics of fado, the folk music of the Portuguese quayside, with its maritime themes of separation, exile and fate. Fado is sung to the accompaniment of a twelve-stringed guitar that the Moors introduced into the Algarve. Add the rhythms of Africa and the style of Brazilian samba to fado and the uniquely heady sound of Cape Verdean music is born. We had been fortunate enough to drop in on a group of musicians entertaining the locals over Sunday lunch beside the Atlantic breakers at Cidade Velha. Their transatlantic music and traditions connected with us and inspire us as we continue our journey over the length of an Ocean.
Connections are what an expedition like this is all about. Yesterday, we were in the Cape Verde Islands, proudly independent from Portugal for a generation. A slave center throughout the eighteenth century, today's population is a mixture of African and European. The main crop on the island, however, comes from the New World: maize. Were it the only gift of the native peoples of the Americas to the rest of the world they should earn our undying gratitude, for without maize today's levels of animal or human population could not be supported.
Cape Verde is also celebrated for its distinctive musical tradition, also a product of transatlantic connections. Listen for the soulful lyrics of fado, the folk music of the Portuguese quayside, with its maritime themes of separation, exile and fate. Fado is sung to the accompaniment of a twelve-stringed guitar that the Moors introduced into the Algarve. Add the rhythms of Africa and the style of Brazilian samba to fado and the uniquely heady sound of Cape Verdean music is born. We had been fortunate enough to drop in on a group of musicians entertaining the locals over Sunday lunch beside the Atlantic breakers at Cidade Velha. Their transatlantic music and traditions connected with us and inspire us as we continue our journey over the length of an Ocean.
