Arts and culture in Santiago, Cape Verde

It was destroyed during the Cassard expedition in 1712 and had about a million volumes, the largest in Cape Verde at the time and some had the original copy of the earliest record of the island.

Notable writers includes Jorge Barbosa, Orlanda Amarílis, António Lopes Cardoso, António Pedro, Yara dos Santos, Arménio Vieira, Tomé Varela da Silva, Silvino Lopes Évora and Manuel Veiga.

Notable works such as books include Diário das Ilhas (Diary of the Islands), Insularité et littérature aux îles du Cap-Vert and several more.

Newly constructed tall towers of the south of Downtown Praia that are nearly 50 meters are one examples of modern architecture.

A 19th century Portuguese painter named Simplício Rodrigues de Sá was born in the east of the island but did his artistic career in Brazil.

Presently batuque it is found only in Santiago, notably Tarrafal, however, there are clues that it existed in all the islands of Cape Verde.

It rhythmically has four variants of tabanca including tabancas of Várzea, Achada Grande, Achada de Santo António (three neighborhoods of the city of Praia) and Chã de Tanque in Santa Catarina[5] Tabanka today have been composed in other forms by recent composers and musicians.

There are two tabanka museums on the island, the first is in Assomada and the other is in Chã de Tanque, the areas where the musical style is still popular today.

Singers and musicians include Codé di Dona, Fernando Quejas, Orlando Pantera, Lela Violão, Gardénia Benrós, Izé Teixeira, Suzanna Lubrano, Dany Silva, Beto Dias, Tcheka, Blick Tchutchi, Chando Graciosa, Katchás, Maruca Chica, Princesito, Gil Semedo, Gilyto, Mário Lúcio Sousa and recently Elida Almeida.

Musical producer include José da Silva, a Praia native who was the founder of Lusafrica Records and founded it in Paris, France.