Praia, Sept. 4, 2024 (Lusa) - According to the programme released today, activities to commemorate the centenary of Amílcar Cabral's birth will be held throughout September in at least 10 countries, mainly Cabo Verde and Portugal.
According to the programme released by the Amílcar Cabral Foundation, the activities include debates, conferences, book and stamp launches, fairs, exhibitions, sports, cinema, marches and musical concerts.
The celebrations kicked off on Sunday with the publication, in Senegal, of the collective work ‘Amílcar Cabral: 50 ans aprés’ - 1st volume, and will continue with the XII Meeting of Portuguese Language Writers, which begins on Thursday in the city of Praia and honours the father of the Cabo Verde's and Guinean nationalities.
The writers' meeting is organised by Praia City Council and the Union of Portuguese Language Capital Cities (UCCLA), and also pays homage to the poet Luís de Camões.
Other activities will be taking place in Cabo Verde, with the highlight being the international symposium on the 9th and 10th at Uni-CV in Praia, which will feature talks by more than 50 researchers who have dedicated themselves to studying Cabral's life and work.
The event will also be held in Guinea-Bissau, on the 11th and 12th, always with online transmission, in what is the only activity of the programme in the country of Cabral's birth.
On the centenary day, 12 September, at 9 a.m. local time (11 a.m. in Lisbon), the president of Cabo Verde, José Maria Neves, will lay a wreath at the memorial and unveil a plaque commemorating the 100th anniversary of Amílcar Cabral's birth.
The Cabo Verde and Portuguese post offices will release stamps alluding to the centenary in a joint issue on the same day, but at 6 p.m. local time.
Also in Praia, one of the other highlights will be a big ‘concert for Cabral’ on the 14th, free of charge, in the square that bears his name, in Várzea, with performances by Manú Reis, Cabo Verde Show, Karyna Gomes, Princezito, Jonathan, Hélio Batalha, Gá DaLomba, Amílcar Semedo and Cjey Patronato.
From 11 to 21 September, a fair will be held in Praça Alexandre Albuquerque, in Plateau, the historic centre of Cabo Verde's capital. It will feature an exhibition of 40 panels on Cabral's life and work, paintings, the sale of handicrafts and merchandise, gatherings, and a stage with concerts by Cabo Verde's youngest musicians.
Also on the Cabo Verde's island of Santiago, there will be a peace concert in Tarrafal.
The islands of Santo Antão, São Vicente, Sal and Boa Vista will also honour Cabral.
The first activity in Portugal takes place on Wednesday in Coimbra. This initiative by Escola da Noite and Cena Lusófona, in partnership with more than a dozen institutions in the city and the country, includes books, music, documentaries, workshops, theatre, debates, and exhibitions.
Amílcar Cabral ‘will be there’ on Saturday 7th at the Avante Festival in Lisbon.
On the 12th, the first meeting of Guinean writers and artists will take place at the Torre do Tombo and the book ‘Letters from Amílcar Cabral to Ana Maria: between me and you there was love’ will be launched.
On 13 September, the Theatro Circo in Braga hosts the Paraíso cycle, with artists from a variety of artistic fields - from literature to contemporary dance, from music to performance - offering shows and talks on themes linked to the history of the black movement in Portugal, the life and work of Amílcar Cabral, and innovation and tradition in Lusophone music.
Throughout September, events will be held in Angola, the United States, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. The programme can be consulted on the Foundation's official pages.
Amílcar Cabral was born on 12 September 1924 in Bafatá, in what was then Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau), and was assassinated on 20 January 1973 in Conakry, Guinea.
The centenary celebrations have been marked by various academic, cultural, political, sporting, and social events worldwide.
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