The city of Praia on the island of Santiago, the capital of Cape Verde, today commemorates the 150th anniversary of its elevation to the status of city. The date is an opportunity for politicians and citizens alike to take a focused look at Cape Verde’s most important urban center and all of its positive and negative aspects.

The town of Praia de Santa Maria was founded in 1615, with the settlement of a small plateau situated above a beach (Santa Maria beach). Initially used as a clandestine port as a way of skirting the payment of customs taxes in the then-capital, Ribeira Grande (now known as Cidade Velha, some 15 kilometers away), the locale slowly took on the characteristics of a town with the gradual flight of the population of Ribeira Grande, due to the latter’s economic decline.

By way of a decree in 1858, and albeit in an irregular way over the course of time, Praia was elevated to the status of city and became the capital of Cape Verde, taking on the functions of political, religious and economic center. 150 years later, the municipality of Praia is home to a population of some 120,000 inhabitants, many of them originally hailing from the countryside of the island of Santiago, as well as from other islands in the archipelago of Cape Verde.

As a result of its mission as the capital of Cape Verde, the city of Praia and its people pay a high price for the haphazard growth seen over the past thirty-odd years. Due to this growth, the times when the city was basically restricted to the central Plateau district are long gone. The city today extends in various different directions and with neighborhoods as varied as Palmarejo and Safende, for example. There is a chronic shortage of water, electricity, sewage and transportation, although much has been invested in these and other domains.

In sum, both beloved and mistreated due to its centrality and its condition as a sort of national hub, the city of Praia is a mosaic of people and a cultural cauldron, a multicultural city in which one can hear all of the dialects of Crioulo spoken in Cape Verde, as well as the tones of countless other languages hailing from various other points in the globe, particularly continental West Africa. And it is in this multiculturalism as well that Praia’s strength lies.

Festivities

The official program of events for the festivities marking the 150th anniversary of Praia’s elevation to the category of city begin at 10:00 am today with a solemn session at the municipal building. Interim municipal chamber president Manuel Varela Neves will lead the ceremony, which will also be attended by President of the Republic Pedro Pires.

At 11:00 am a tree will be planted at the Nova Assembleia school in the Achada de Santo António district. Beginning at 6:30 pm, a session of songs dedicated to the city will held in the Plateau district.

A special commemorative postage stamp will also be released today, and the festivities will be capped off with fireworks.

Source: A Semana