The Island of Contenda

Cape Verde 1964 At the feet of a mighty volcano the traditional Cape Verdean society is undergoing a steady change The old landowning aristocracy is disintegrating A class of mulattos begins to emerge with a tradebased financial power that threatens the landlords A new identity arises a mix of old and new of African and Portuguese culture sensual and dynamic The songs of Cesária Évora follow this inevitable transformation From the novel by Henrique Teixeira de Sousa