Days before easter, Carnival in Sao vicente island is the most famous in Cape Verde. Therefore it has become an event of huge proportions. But, how about London? When they celebrate carnival here?
Since 1964, The Notting Hill Carnival has been taking place in London, on the last weekend in August, every year. This event began with the Black immigrants from the Caribbean. However, I found it interesting because here they celebrate it in August, istead of February and somehow I think the whether in London has something to do with it.
In september 2008, in my first year at London Metropolitan University, I was quite worry about how to pay fees for the full-time year. So I went to the Finance Office to know if it would be possible for me to get a sholarship or any fund from university.
” I’m afraid, but according to the university system, cape verde islands is not on the list of scholarships countries” said one of the general office. To be honest, I was already expecting that kind of answer, not only because usually people don’t know where cape verde is on the map, but also because cape verde is an independent country, and is not part of the European Union.
Consequently, I had no choice if is not to pay the full tution fee for the all year. And sometimes, I found myself wondering, if it actually worth it.
People outside the UK, speacilly in my country, thinks that when you got the opportunity to do a degree in a place like London, you are the luckiest person in the world.
According to my own experience, studying in London Metropolitan University and living in London city, the place where you are in it does matter but it is not everything. The social life, the language, and your capacity to adpat where you are it is crucial for your own development.
Nowadays, after living in London for 2 years, I can say that the most important thing that I ‘ve learned, is that you might be in the best place or University in the world, but if something is missing you’d never feel like you have achieve something in your life.
After some research on zouk music and dance in London, I finally found something!
The zouk dance classes, Mass club in Brixton Hill every week. So, I asked my
aunt, who is huge fan of Kizomba and zouk dance, if she knew about this place, and she said yes, that is famous one in London, where a lot people go there to learn how to dance zouk.
Zouk music, is one of the famous style music in Cape Verde islands, and is originated from islands of Guadalupe, Haiti and Dominica.
” Zouk”means party or festival.Particularly in Cape Verde, people are more familiar with a speacial style within zouk, called Zouk- Love.
Zouk-Love is more slower and dramatic. Nevertheless, Zouk- love has a lot influence from Brazil, France and Angola. Susana Lubranno,Gil Semedo, Nelson Freitas and Philipe Monteiro are some example of popular zouk-Love artists.
I met Kelly years ago during my International Foundation Programme course in Humanities, that all international student like me in London has to do, in order to be prepared before their degree course. And once, after our class I invited kelly to my place. As any fresh student in London having for the fist time her own place, I was quite excited to show kelly mine. While we were chating, Kelly said to me that she’s really keen on clubing, and that we should go toguether in one sometime. “Yeah, I’d love to!” I said. “Great! I can also show some really great songs that they play in these kind of clubs, where I use to go” said Kelly. After playing the “criola” song by Mika Mendes, Kelly said: ” So, isn’t it good? I just love this song and the beat of it! “. ” Of course! I know this song, it is “criola” by Mika Mendes a famous cape verdean singer” I said. For me, that situation was extremelly ironic and also funny, because Kelly was saying that she loves the song but she couldn’t understand a word of it.
And same happened to me years ago before I’ve learned english, when I used to listen american songs on the radio and I couldn’t understand a word, but only the beat was enough to make me love it.
Every week, after school ” Quebra canela” beach was my refuge. I remember, I used to go there a lot with my friends. Sandy, sunny and vast, ” Quebra canela” beach is one of my favourite place in Praia Capital. And the reason why I love being there so much, is because it is a place where I found myself saying that I would never change this place to any other place in the world.
And some people might say I’m a bit crazy to prefer an unfamous beach lost in a tiny island in the middle of atlantic ocean, instead, of being in Egypt wacthing the Pyramids of Giza or in Broadway Avenue in New York city.
Personally, I think that the less important thing is where you are, but the feeling that you’re having about the place where you are in. And when I’m in this beach, somehow I feel myself having this “magical” treatment from all envoiroment around me. It is unexplainable, the way I feel, because you must be there to have your own feelings about it.
Moreover ” Quebra canela” it is only place in the world where you can eat a delightful “calabaceira” or ” tambarina” ice- cream (known as freskinha) in a hot day.
The republic of Cape Verde is an island country, where i was born and live half of my life. Cape Verde is poor country, with no natural resources, but also known for a very welcome country, where people like to share with others even with the little they got.
This blog will be about everything that I miss about cape verde, and also about my own experience living in London as a capeverdean student.
