In this episode of Grating the Nutmeg, Natalie Belanger of the Connecticut Museum of History and Culture chats with some members of Connecticut’s  Cape Verdean community to learn about the culture’s deep roots in the state.  Roberta Vincent has been a passionate advocate for the Cape Verdean community in her home town of Norwich, Connecticut for decades. Educator Koren Paul grew up in Stratford and is President of the Cape Verdean Women’s Club of Bridgeport. Both women describe the origins of the community in New England and to talk about their personal experiences maintaining their cultural heritage. The conversation also includes Lynne Williamson, the mutual friend who introduced Belenger to Roberta and Koren. Williamson is the former director of the Connecticut Cultural Heritage and Arts Program, the state’s official folk and traditional arts initiative. CCHAP merged with the Connecticut Museum in 2015. 

 

Learn more here: 

Cape Verdeans in Norwich 

Africans in Search of the American Dream: Cape Verdean Whalers and Sealers 

Cape Verdean Women’s Social Club of Bridgeport 

Connecticut Cape Verdean Community History Project 

Cape Verdean Materials at the Connecticut Museum of History and Culture 

The Connecticut Digital Archive 

And to hear more examples of Cape Verdean music in CT, you can listen to some repicar de tambor recorded at the Festa de Sao Joao at the Cape Verdean Club of Waterbury in 2010, and an audio notebook produced by NPR with CCHAP in 2009.

 

Fresh episodes of Grating the Nutmeg are brought to you every two weeks with support from our listeners. You can help us continue to produce the podcast by donating directly to Grating the Nutmeg on the Connecticut Explored website at ctexplored.org   Click the donate button at the top and then look for the Grating the Nutmeg donation link at the bottom. Donations in any amount are greatly appreciated-we thank you!

 

This episode of Grating the Nutmeg was produced by Natalie Belanger and engineered by Patrick O’Sullivan at https://www.highwattagemedia.com/

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Join us in two weeks for our next episode of Grating the Nutmeg, the podcast of Connecticut history.