Curating Juri: AME Atlantic Music Expo 2016

In 2014 I was an international delegate of the Atlantic Music Expo (AME) in Cape Verde, where I was exposed to Cape Verdean finest music and was impressed with the level of artistry of the musicians continuing the legacy of Cesária Évora. As a result of my experience, I curated a special day at SummerStage in July of 2015 celebrating Cape Verdean music, featuring some of the artists who I heard in Cape Verde. In 2016, I was honored to serve as one of the artistic jurors selecting the music showcases for AME, as well as a speaker and panelist for that year’s edition.

Cape Verdean history is intimately linked to the transatlantic slave trade. Home to one of the world's oldest slave markets, built in 1466, it opened 26 years before Columbus set sail. The archipelago’s history and culture serve as a perfect launchpad for spreading the vision of creolization, which is fiercely advocated and eloquently articulated by its former minister of culture and artist/author Mário Lúcio Sousa. At the heart of the Cape Verdean identity, lies the idea is that “creole” is much beyond a “mix of cultures” and can serve as an inspiration on how we create, relate to each other and understand our own identities and other cultures.

The birthplace of morna, funaná and batuque, Cape Verde has an incredibly strong musical identity that reflects the cultural diversity of the region. The center of the capital, Praia, is the home of AME. Atlantic Music Expo is typically scheduled right before Kriol Jazz Festival, which has been a staple of the region since 2009.

Check out this NY Times article about AME.