‘Now the flag is everywhere’: how World Cup success has changed life in Cape Verde

Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, has a rich cultural heritage, with a unique blend of African, Portuguese, and Brazilian influences. The country's music scene, in particular, is known for its diverse rhythms, including mornas, funaná, and coladeira, which are an integral part of its identity. The success of the national football team, the Blue Sharks, has brought a new wave of excitement and patriotism to the country, with the team's World Cup run being seen as a source of national pride.

‘Now the flag is everywhere’: how World Cup success has changed life in Cape Verde

The Blue Sharks will become the smallest nation in history to play a knockout match at the World Cup when they face Argentina on Friday The Festival da Gamboa is the largest music festival on Santiago Island, Cape Verde. Since its inception in the early 1990s, the small stretch of beach, nestled at the foot of the plateau of Praia, has been transformed for a weekend from the home of a dozen or so fishing boats to one of the country’s biggest shindigs, attracting thousands of partygoers. It has staged some of Cape Verde’s greatest musicians playing the rhythms of mornas, funaná, coladeira, batuque and tabanca. But last Friday, on opening night of the three-day event, it staged Cabo Verde’s newest and most popular act, the Tubarões Azuis, the Blue Sharks. Continue reading...