List of Cape Verdeans

This article is a list of famous people related to Cape Verde.

The words “Cabo Verdean” are not always used to express the same notions. They can be used to express:

1. People who were born in Cape Verde and/or were raised in Cape Verde, generally having lived most of their lives in Cape Verde and who ethnically identify themselves as Cape Verdeans.
2. People who may or may not have born in Cape Verde, having lived most of their lives outside Cape Verde, having a different nationality than Cape Verdean. Many of these people also have Cape Verdean nationality. Most of these people ethnically identify themselves as Cape Verdeans, having strong ties with Cape Verde and Cape Verdean culture.
3. People who were not born in Cape Verde but with one or both parents being of one of the two criteria above. Since the ties between Cape Verdean descendants and Cape Verde are usually long lasting, these people often consider themselves as being “Cape Verdeans”.

1. Cape Verdean people

Music – singers, musicians & composers

• Ana Firmino (1953– ), singer, living in Portugal
• Antoninho Travadinha, violinist
• Armando Zeferino Soares (1920–2007), composer of the famous song “Sodade”
• Bana (1932–2013), singer
• Bela Duarte, artist
• Cesária Évora (1941–2011), singer and global popularizer of morna and coladeira
• Eugénio Tavares (1867–1930), greatest composer of morna
• Fantcha (1956– ), singer
• Fernando Quejas (1922–2005), singer and songwriter
• Gil Semedo (1974– ), singer, composer, living in Netherlands
• Ildo Lobo (1953–2004), singer with Os Tubarões
• Jotamont (1912–1988), composer of morna
• Mayra Andrade (1985– ), singer, living in France
• Tcheka (1973– ), singer, composer, musician
• Manuel de Novas (1938–2009), composer
• Paulino Vieira, composer, singer, musician, living in Portugal
• Bau (1962– ), musician, composer
• Suzanna Lubrano (1975– ), zouk singer, living in Netherlands
• Teófilo Chantre (1964– ), musician, living in France
• Tito Paris (1963– ), musician, composer, singer, living in Portugal
• Vasco Martins (1956– ), musician, composer

Poets

• Aguinaldo Fonseca
• Arménio Vieira (1941– ), journalist
• Eugénio Tavares (1867–1930)
• Gabriel Mariano (1928–2002), poet and an essayist
• Manuel de Novas (1938–2009), poet, composer
• Ovídio Martins (1928–1999), poet, journalist
• Sergio Frusoni (1901–1975), Cape Verdean poet of Italian descent and promoter of the Cape Verdean Creole language

Politicians

• Abílio Duarte (1931–1996) (1931–1996)
• Aristides Pereira (1923–2011), former President of Cape Verde
• António Mascarenhas Monteiro (1944– ), former President of Cape Verde
• Corsino Fortes (1933– ), ambassador, writer
• Carlos Veiga (1949– ), former Prime Minister of Cape Verde
• Honório Barreto (1813–1859), was a governor of the Portuguese Guinea
• José Maria Neves (1960– ), Prime Minister of Cape Verde
• Pedro Pires (1934), former Prime Minister of Cape Verde; former President of Cape Verde

Professors and Academics

Dr. Ricardo Rosa University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Dr. Donaldo Macedo University of Massachusetts Boston

Sports

Athletics

• Carlos Almeida (1968– ), long distance runner
• Isménia do Frederico (1971– ), sprinter
• Alfayaya Embalo, sprinter
• Lidiane Lopes (1994– ), sprinter
• Sonia Lopes (1975– ), middle distance and long-distance runner
• Denielsan Martins (1987– ), sprinter
• Eva Pereira (1989– ), middle distance and long-distance runner
• Ruben Sança (1986– ), long-distance runner
• Lenira Santos (1987– ), sprinter
• Euclides Varela (1982– ), long-distance runner
• António Zeferino (1966– ), long-distance runner

Boxing

• Flavio Furtado (1978– )

Basketball

• Walter Tavares (1992– )

Football (Soccer)

• Bijou Davidson (1986– )

Writers

• Baltasar Lopes da Silva (1907–1989), writer, poet, linguist
• Corsino Fortes (1933– ), poet
• Germano Almeida (1945– ), author, lawyer
• Henrique Teixeira de Sousa (1919–2006), writer, doctor, author
• Ivone Ramos (1926– ), poet
• Jorge Barbosa (1902–1971), poet, writer
• João Cleófas Martins (1901–1970), photographer, author
• Manuel Lopes (1907–2005), novelist, poet, essayist
• Orlanda Amarilis (1924– )
• Viriato de Barros
• Yolanda Morazzo (1928– )

2. Cape Verdean people with other than Cape Verdean nationality

Music – singers, musicians & composers

• Boy Gé Mendes (1952– ), Senegalese musician, singer and composer, founder of Paris-based Cape Verdean music bands “Cabo Verde Show”, “Mendes e Mendes” and “Mendes e Mendes & O'asah”
• Maria de Barros, Senegalese-born, Mauritanian-grown singer, now living in United States
• Lura (1975– ), Portuguese-born singer

Poets

Rosendo Évora Brito (1937- ) Cape Verdean Poet and author, political activist

Politicians

• Evandro Carvalho, American politician
• Vinny deMacedo (1965– )

Professors and Academics

• Donaldo Macedo, University of Massachusetts Boston

Sports

Athletics

• Márcio Fernandes, (1983-), paralympic javelin thrower

Basketball

• João Gomes (1985– )

Boxing

• Aalviar Lima (1978– )
• Miguel Dias (1968– )

Football (Soccer)

• Cafú (1977– )
• Dady (1981– )
• Gélson Fernandes (1986– ) naturalized Swiss, plays for Switzerland
• José Emilio Furtado (1983– )
• José Veiga (1976– )
• Nélson Veiga (1978– )
• Pedro Pelé (1978– )
• Toni Varela (1986– )

Writers

• Eileen Almeida Barbosa

3. Cape Verdean descendants

Actors

• Sara Martins (1977- ), Portuguese-born French actress
• Anika Noni Rose (1972– ), United States actress, singer
• Chelsea Tavares (1991– ), United States actress, singer
• Michael Beach (1963– ), United States actor
• Lena Horne (1917–2010), United States singer, actress, civil rights activist, dancer
• Ashley Holliday (1985– ), United States actress

Artists

• Lindsay Grace, United States game designer
• Carlito Rezende (1972- ), painter

Beauty Queens

• Tatiana Silva (1985– ), was Miss Belgium in 2005
• Mildred Almeida was Miss Massachusetts in 1951

Models

• Amber Rose (1983– ), United States model, recording artist, actress and socialite

Music – singers, musicians & composers

• Blu Cantrell (1976– ), United States soul singer-songwriter, musician (drums and guitar), Scatter producer
• Elvis "E-Life" de Oliveira, Dutch rapper from Rotterdam
• Elle Varner (1989– ), United States singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
• Eddy "Eddy Fort Moda Grog" Fortes, Dutch rapper from Rotterdam
• Horace Ward Martin "Horace Silver" Tavares Silva (1928– ), hard bop United States Jazz pianist, composer and bandleader
• Johnny Rodrigues (1951- ), singer (not to be confused with American singer Johnny Rodriguez born the same year)
• Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (1971–2002), United States rapper, singer-songwriter, dancer and was a member of Hip-Hop group TLC
• Masspike Miles (1980– ), United States singer
• Paul Pena (1950–2005), United States singer, songwriter and guitarist
• Paul Gonsalves (1920–1974), United States musician-woodwinds and tenor saxophone
• Pebbles (1964– ), United States radio presenter, personality and voice-over artist
• Sara Tavares (1978– ), Portuguese singer
• Tavares Brothers (1959– ), United States R&B, Funk and Soul music group

Politicians

• Amílcar Cabral (1924–1973), Guinea-Bissau nationalist politician

Professors and Academics

• Charles Manuel "Sweet Daddy" Grace (1881 or 1884–1960), United States Bishop
• Peter J. Gomes (1942–2011), United States Preacher and Theologian, Harvard University
• Lindsay Grace, American University

Sports

American Football

• Stephen Cooper (1979– ) United States American football player
• Tony Gonzalez (1976– ) United States American football player
• Wayne Fontes (1940– ) United States American football player

Athletics

• Henry Andrade (1962– ), United States hurdler
• Nelson Cruz (1977– ), Portuguese long distance runner

Baseball

• Davey Lopes (1945– ) United States baseball player
• Wayne Gomes (1973– ) United States baseball player

Boxing

• Demetrius "The Best" Andrade (1988– ) United States boxer
• Marvelous Marvin Hagler (1954– ) United States boxer

Basketball NBA

• Charles D. Smith (1965– ) United States basketball player
• Dana Barros (1967– ) United States basketball player
• Glen "Big Baby" Davis (1986– ) United States basketball player
• Ryan Gomes (1982– ) United States basketball player

Football (Soccer)

• Cecilio Lopes (1979– ) Dutch football (soccer) player
• David Mendes da Silva (1982– ) Portuguese football (soccer) player
• Guy Ramos (1985– ) Dutch football (soccer) player
• Henrik Larsson (1971– ) Swedish football (soccer) player
• Jerson Cabral (1991– ) Dutch football (soccer) player
• Lerin Duarte (1990– ) Dutch football (soccer) player
• Luc Castaignos (1992– ) Dutch football (soccer) player
• Nani (1986– ) Portuguese football (soccer) player
• Manuel Fernandes (1986– ) Portuguese football (soccer) player
• Patrick Vieira (1976– ) French football (soccer) player

Other Sports

• Cynthia Barboza (1987– ), United States volleyball player

Writers

• Patrick "Killa-P" Rodrigues (1985-), United States filmmaker, actor and creator of Cape Verdean Beautiful People
• Mike Costa (1957- ), United States comedy writer, filmmaker

See also

Cape Verde topics History African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde Colonial heads Geography Administrative divisions Cities Climate Extreme points Islands Barlavento Sotavento Mountains Ports Streams Villages and settlements Volcanoes Wildlife Politics Elections Foreign relations Human rights LGBT LGBT history Law enforcement Military National Assembly Political parties President Prime Minister Economy Agriculture Companies Escudo (currency) Stock market Telecommunications Energy Tourism Transport airports Culture Cape Verdean Creole Cape Verdean Portuguese Crime Demographics Education Emblem Flag Football Health List of Cape Verdeans Media Music Public holidays Religion Outline Index Category Portal WikiProject