Forbidden Batuko: Historical Social Tensions in Cape Verde Through Music and Dance

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Author(s): Jorge Castro Ribeiro (University of Aveiro, Portugal)
Copyright: 2025
Pages: 36
Source title: Regional, International, and Transatlantic Relations From the Iberian Peninsula to the World
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Susana Soares da Silva Rocha Relvas (Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Portugal), Mark Gant (University of Chester, UK), Deirdre Kelly (Technological University Dublin, Ireland)and Siân Edwards (University of Cardiff, UK)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-0634-6.ch016

Keywords: Business & Management / Global Business / Information Science Reference / International Relations

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Abstract

European navigators claimed the Cape Verde archipelago for Portugal in the 15th century, leading to European settlement focused on agriculture, fishing, and trade. From the 17th to 19th centuries, enslaved Africans were brought to the islands, shaping a stratified, oppressive society marked by cultural and genetic diversity. Portuguese colonial rule imposed violent social hierarchies among landowners, clergy, traders, slaves, and escaped slaves (badius/vadios). After slavery's abolition and ongoing economic neglect, Cape Verde remained largely rural until independence in 1975. Music and dance reflected these tensions, with African-rooted forms like batuko enduring despite bans. Today, such practices are key to Cape Verdean postcolonial identity, both locally and in the diaspora.

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Forbidden Batuko: Historical Social Tensions in Cape Verde Through Music and Dance

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