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Cabo Verdean Rhythms examines the rhythms, movements, and performances of Kolá San Jon, a performative tradition central to Cabo Verde's Festas Juninas, as a lens for understanding the ongoing negotiations of social and cultural boundaries in Cabo Verde.
The book examines Kolá San Jon as a site of spatialization and creolization, processes that are closely linked to the colonial and postcolonial histories of the archipelago. Beginning with an examination of the concept of Creolidade as a dynamic and contested process, the book goes on to trace the historical connections between the islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão, exploring how these inter-island relationships have shaped the Kolá San Jon tradition. It analyzes the construction of identity and sense of belonging through drumming and dance, and considers processional performances as key moments of spatial and social organization. Through the concept of ritual failure, the book reflects on the fragility and contested nature of these practices.
Bringing together the interdisciplinary fields of ethnomusicology, postcolonialism, and spatial politics, Cabo Verdean Rhythms offers novel perspectives for understanding the nexus of sound, space, and identity, which will be of interest to both researchers and postgraduate students.
List of contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Enter the Garden of the Hesperides
Chapter 2: Performing Creolidade
Chapter 3: Barlavento Constellations
Chapter 4: Rhythms of Belonging
Chapter 5: San Jon Revoltiód
Chapter 6: The Walking Community
Chapter 7: The Weakness of San Jon
Chapter 8: Conclusion - The Rhythms of Kolá San Jon
References
Index
About the author
Martin Ringsmut is a postdoctoral University Assistant for Ethnomusicology at the University of Vienna, Austria.
