KUNSTGESPRÄCH#13: Zwischen Afrika, Europa und Amerika. Die kreolische Kultur der Kapverden: Ein Zukunftsmodell?

In the organizer's words:

ART TALKS#13

Between Africa, Europe and America
The Creole culture of Cape Verde
A model for the future?

Dr. Sebastião Iken

The uninhabited and very arid archipelago of Cabo Verde was discovered by Portuguese sailors in the middle of the 15th century and colonized as a slave transshipment point in the course of intercontinental expansion. It was only after independence in 1975 that the culture and Creole identity of the predominantly African population of this young state was able to develop freely. At the same time, politics developed in an exemplary democratic manner, so that the country can be seen as a model for the future.

With information about the history of colonization, colonization, slavery, resistance against the colonial power, independence and current politics, the event introduces various aspects of Cape Verde's independent Creole culture: Popular festivals and culinary delights as well as the diversity of the Creole language, music and literature of this archipelago.

Dr. Sebastião Iken grew up in Porto/Portugal, holds a doctorate in Romance studies and teaches Portuguese linguistics and cultural studies at the University of Cologne. Together with his Brazilian wife, Isabel Figueiredo-Iken, he has been coordinating the events of the Portuguese Cultural Circle at the Cologne Adult Education Center for over twenty years. As President of the DASP - German Association for the African States of Portuguese Language, he is intensively involved with the history, language and culture of these five countries (Angola, Cabo Verde, Guiné-Bissau, Moçambique, São Tomé e Príncipe), coordinates international colloquia and is the current editor of the DASP booklets, which have been providing regular information about these countries for forty years.