Boa Vista Experience

jak · Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 912

Music, joy, and fun were behind the staging of the Praia de Cruz festival on Boa Vista. The audience had together with the song and dance artisits gathered to once more honour the name of this festival.

There were two nights of partying where traditional music and modern mixed together very well. The mixture of rhythms and sounds pleased the audience of all the ages, and of all races. People from the islands of Sal, Santiago, Santo Antao along with those from the African Coast, Italy, Portugal, etc. All had danced, sung and jumped in the biggest party of music on Boa Vista.

In the first night, as is the custom it was the local musicians who opened the festival, starting with Chone d' Bey with the rhythms of Boa Vista. Other local acts Unisson and Tio Lino had also put the stamp of the home island on this night. Suzana Lubrano invaded Praia de Cruz with the romance and the sensuality of its zouck Love, later came the rhythms of the samba from Brazil.

Music of the Boa Vista again opened the second night of the festival. The groups Mazurca and Juary Livramento sung local mornas and coladeiras, but soon were heard the sounds of Santiago, followed by the rhytyms of Sal with the band Tecla 2, with the young audience dancing more and more.

Heavy H lived up to the title of the great entertainers being particularly appreciated by the younger members of the audience with their favourite hits such as , “Zabel Corneta”, “Bom pa Film”, among others, but also with "Família" and other songs from the recently released CD. "Zouck do Face a Face" closed the festival in great style. Hundreds of people stayed until dawn to sing and to dance with these young lads who are a big success on the main radios stations of the country.

On a Positive the Festival of the Praia de Cruz again lived up to its name of being called the “Civic Festival”. Neither the police or the health services reported any problems. The only casualties in the first aid tent were those who had drunk too much alcohol. The only negative note was the sanitation. The beach was always full of garbage, with beer bottles and glasses.

The Praia de Cruz Festival 2009 happened under the motto " In the Turtle, our Heritage”. All during the festival the audience had been reminded of the need to protect this animal that has the Boa Vista as one of its main sanctuaries.

A Semana

Bert · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 87

Which part of the island is Praia de Cruz on?

jak · Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 912

Bert,

Praia de Cruz is north of Sal Rei. It is just before you get to the Marine Club. You would get a front row view from a sea facing apartment in the Delfini Resort. There is a stage on the beach which is used for the festival.

Regards,

John Dowling

craig1984 · Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Posts: 2

hi jak
this is my first post, i have just come back from boa vista and its was amazing, i just wanted to say that me and my girlfriend and everyone we met are on the photos you have posted from the festival, im on the back row, you can just see my eyes coming over the top.

it was a fantastic night and we all had a great time, did you take the photo or did you get it from somewhere.

jak · Senior Member Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 912

Hi Craig,

It was great to see you all having such a fantastic time. Very sadly it was not me taking the picture, how I wish that it was. Sadly I have not visited Boa Vista since January this year, but I am planning my next trip.

I do recognise most of the locals in the picture however having come across them many times in the past.

Please let us know what elso you got up to on Boa Vista, did you take a tour of the island? Also any recent pictures would be great to see. Did stay at the Riu? Did you use the forum and website to find out about Boa Vista before you went?

Apologies for all the questions.

Regards,

John Dowling

craig1984 · Joined: 06 Aug 2009 Posts: 2

jak

we did all have a good time even tho we were getting charged more for the beer than the locals,ha.
All of the locals in the photo are from the Riu hotel which is where we stayed, they saw us at the festival and come over to dance which was good fun, they also looked after us as alot of the other locals there were very drunk and kept on coming over and asking us for euros so they told them to go away in the end.

we do have photos but havnt had chance to put any up yet, will do soon.

I would also like to say that i did use this website before i went and i found it very helpful. Although i did take a few jumpers because some people on this website said it was cold and windy at night, but it wasnt at all far from it.

We did go into sal rai a few times for a few drinks and to buy gifts etc, as the riu is very expensive (2.50 euro for a bag of chrisps).

as for the weather, it was so hot but did get a bit cloudy but that was a nice break from the strong sun rays, it rained for about 10 mins on our last day (24.08.09) but was hot again after that.

Any more Questions Just ask.

thanks craig