Three Massachusetts Cities To Host Cape Verdean Cultural Bazaar and Book Fair
Cultural Bazaar and Book Fair Will Bring Cape Verdean Authors To American Audiences

The Capeverdean Creole Institute will host a three-day Cultural Bazaar and Book Fair from April 25-27, 2008. The event will have the honored presence of Manuel Veiga, the Cape Verdean Minister of Culture, and Joaquim Morais, the Director of the National Library and Book Institute of Cape Verde. It will include panel discussions on Cape Verdean national identity, book sales and signings, and live music and dance performances. Manuel Veiga and Adelaide Monteiro, both linguists, will conduct a workshop on Cape Verdean Creole literacy.

"This historic Cultural Bazaar and Book Fair aims to bring together several different groups in the New England community – descendants of and recent immigrants from Cape Verde, Creole speakers, Portuguese speakers, African Americans, and all those with an interest in African literature and scholarship," said Manuel Gonçalves, President of the Capeverdean Creole Institute. "Our organization is confident that through this event, and others like it, we can educate the New England community about its historic ties to Cape Verde and build mutually beneficial partnerships between the US and Cape Verde for the future."

Most people know Cape Verde as home to Grammy award winner Cesária Évora, the "barefoot diva." But it's also the site of one of Africa's most vibrant literary scenes. Cape Verdean literature has long played an important role in international social movements, even stirring the sentiments that led to African independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975. To showcase contemporary Cape Verdean literature, Fátima Bettencourt and Manuel Brito Semedo, two of Cape Verde's most prominent authors, will be present at the event.

The Cape Verdean Cultural Bazaar and Book Fair will present a rich collection of books available for purchase, on topics such as Cape Verdean history, language, culture, diaspora, music, art, photographs, and children's books. Most books are printed in Cape Verdean Creole or Portuguese.

This event is free and open to the general public.

Cultural Bazaar and Book Fair Information

Friday, April 25, 2008 – 1:00pm-6:00pm
Massasoit Community College, Student Center – Upper Lounge (next to the Library)
One Massasoit Boulevard, Brockton, Massachusetts 02302
For directions visit: http://www.massasoit.mass.edu

Saturday, April 26, 2008 – 1:00pm-7:00pm
Bristol Community College
Commonwealth College Center - Atrium and Faculty Staff Lounge (Parking Lot 12)
777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720

Sunday, April 27, 2008 – 11:00am-5:00pm
Catholic Charities of Greater Boston/Teen Center at Saint Peter's Church
284 Bowdoin Street, Dorchester, MA 02122

About the Capeverdean Creole Institute
The Capeverdean Creole Institute (CCI), founded in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in 1996, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of the Capeverdean language. Promotion of the Capeverdean language focuses on active support for the recognition of Capeverdean Creole as an official language in the Republic of Cape Verde, the implementation of a standardized orthography (ALUPEC), and curriculum development in Capeverdean bilingual programs in the US and abroad. The Board Members of the Capeverdean Creole Institute are: Inês Brito, Celestino Depina, Manuel DePina, Manuel Gonçalves, Carla Martin, and Aminah Pilgrim. For more information visit: http://www.myspace.com/noslingua or e-mail noslingua@gmail.com

Featured Guests from Cape Verde

Adelaide Monteiro is a linguist at the Instituto de Investigação e Promoção Cultural of Cape Verde. Her research focuses on linguistic politics and national identity in Cape Verde.

Fátima Bettencourt is a celebrated journalist, teacher, and writer who has worked in Cape Verde, Portugal, Guiné-Bissau, and Angola.

Joaquim Morais is the Director of the National Library of Cape Verde and the President of the Institute of the National Library and of Book .

Manuel Brito Semedo is a Professor at Universidade Jean Piaget in Praia, Santiago, and former Executive Director of the International Institute of the Portuguese Language (of the Comunidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa).

Manuel Veiga is a renowned linguist, author, and activist for the Cape Verdean Creole language. He currently serves as the Minister of Culture of Cape Verde.

In Portuguese: http://news.caboverdeonline.com/news-and-articles/122

Selected cape Verdean books in English and Portuguese:
http://shop.caboverdeonline.com/home.php?cat=7

Tags: Cape Verde Creole Kriolu