Product Description
The Cape Verde Islands have acquired unusual political and strategic significance in Africa because of the nationalist party, the PAIGC, and its notable founder, Amilcar Babral, who led a protracted armed struggle against Portuguese colonialism. This new third edition presents students and researchers with concise entries and references which assist in further research. This dictionary now includes an expanded discussion of Crioulo culture and modern politics, including the 1991 multi-party elections. The introduction traces the pre-colonial and colonial past in the Upper Guinea coast as well as the background to Portuguese maritime exploration in the 15th century. The book offers an integrated overview of Portuguese, Genoan, Guinean, Senegambian, and Jewish history from which Cape Verdean society has emerged. The book covers the early Portuguese explorers and conquerers, as well as famous visitors such as Columbus, DaGama, Drake, Darwin, and Lindburgh. The American consuls to Cape Verde, the African Squadron, and ties to New England and Brazil with the Marquis de Pombal are now covered. Expanded and updated information is included on the economy, emigration, ecology, and foreign and domestic politics, with new and expanded sections on popular music and ethnomusicology specially written by Susan Hurley-Glowa, doctoral candidate at Brown University. Entries on linguistics, early inscriptions, literary figures, and other cultural and artistic traditions are updated and substantially enlarged. This dictionary also includes an expanded and updated historical chronology, acronyms, maps, definitions of Portuguese terms, and a comprehensive and up-to-date bibliography. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

An essential, but uneven, introduction to Cabo Verde
Dr. Lobban's factual description of the culture, geography, economy, and history of Cabo Verde is unmatched. This book is an essential introduction to this island nation, and packs a large amount of information into a veryreadable format, illustrated with adequate photos by the author. Thebook fails, however, whenever Dr. Lobban tries to match that informationwith his preconceptions. He states, correctly, that the centralpolitical/cultural issue in CV is the choice of African or European orCriole identity. Writing for a Modern Africa series, he tries to force theconclusion that the 'real' identity is obviously African, and as a resultcannot understand the political and cultural forces which have dominated CVbecause they reject African identity. His political coverage similarlysuffers from an obvious bias toward the leftist PAICV independence party(e.g. the takeover of a radio station by PAICV activists was 'revolutionaryjustice'while a threat to take over a radio station by the opposition UCIDparty was described as a criminal plot) which weakens his coverage of thetransition to a democratic pluralistic political regime. Nevertheless, hehas presented a valid, readable, and factually accurate picture of CaboVerde which is invaluable to any researcher. Especially enjoyable washis section on "Cultural Markers" in which, inter alia, he tracesthe development of the unique forms of music which are Caboverdian. I wouldlove to read more on that subject alone by this author. ... Read more

Product Description
The current social and political experiments taking place on Cape Verde are examined in an economical and historical context. The author argues that these experiments are proving successful due to the strength and character of the island's most extraordinary resource, its people. ... Read more