Africa-Press – Cape verde. The municipality of São Domingos celebrates, on March 13, the day of its creation. The anniversary is being marked with a set of political, religious, cultural and sporting activities. On Sunday, a solemn session of the Municipal Assembly will take place, alluding to the date, as well as the Thanksgiving Mass that will be celebrated by Cardinal Dom Arlindo Furtado in the historic Parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz. On the same day, the county receives an athletics event, over a distance of 12 kilometers.
About 20 young people started, on Monday, 07, a workshop called “Projecto Cimboa”, with the purpose of integrating themselves in the making and practice of this ancestral instrument, traditional of the island of Santiago, which was on the verge of extinction.
Cimboa: instrument of patrimonial identity
The cimboa, a musical instrument once immortalized by Mano Mendes, a native of Ribeirão Chiqueiro, gained protection through the experience acquired by the outstanding musician and craftsman, Domingos Fernandes, better known as “Pascoal”, who intends to preserve the memory of this instrument.
The training is part of the project “Cimboa – Heritage for the Development of circulation and distribution of products, promoting commercial activities that contribute to the increase in family income and development in all aspects. For Isaías Varela, the construction of these roads represents the culmination of a dream long cherished by the local population that once faced difficulties in terms of mobility, especially during the rainy season. On the occasion, the mayor listed other projects related to municipal highways, whose works are in progress, namely, the rehabilitation of the main road in the center of the city of São Domingos, the highways that give access to the areas of Fontes Almeida and Praia Baixo, as well as , the requalification and straightening of roads in the town of Ribeirão Chiqueiro. sustainable”,
The initiative is based on three aspects, including the recovery of the cimboa as an instrument of Cape Verdean heritage identity, providing the new generation with knowledge in terms of the genesis, history, conception and handling of this emblematic musical instrument, as well as, the transformation of acquired knowledge into opportunities for self-employment, income generation and subsequent local development.
For the mayor Isaias Varela, the implementation of the project will reflect, not only in the cultural sphere of the region, but also in the economic and social aspects, contributing to the promotion of cultural tourism, having the cimboa as a hallmark of São Domingos.
Roads: Figueira Branca and Mendes Faleiro Cabral
Also within the scope of the festivities, the municipality hosted a set of inaugurations, including the roads that give access to the localities of Figueira Branca and Mendes Faleiro Cabral, which took place this Tuesday, 08.
According to the mayor Isaías Varela, the residents of these locations now have greater ease of movement and flow of products, promoting commercial activities that contribute to the increase in family income and development in all aspects.
For Isaías Varela, the construction of these roads represents the culmination of a dream long cherished by the local population that once faced difficulties in terms of mobility, especially during the rainy season.
On the occasion, the mayor listed other projects related to municipal highways, whose works are in progress, namely, the rehabilitation of the main road in the center of the city of São Domingos, the highways that give access to the areas of Fontes Almeida and Praia Baixo, as well as , the requalification and straightening of roads in the town of Ribeirão Chiqueiro.
Other activities
The activities alluding to the day have been taking place since the beginning of the month, with the launch, on the 4th, of the book “Poezia sem fin”, by the writer Luís Manuel Baessa Barros, born in the municipality and residing in France.
On the 5th of March, the municipality promoted a meeting with staff from the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, with a view to an open debate, based on the policy of proximity and in line with the strategy of promoting consensus that could contribute to progress in different areas of action of Local Power.
On the 6th, an exchange was promoted between the Batucadeiras of the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, namely, from the localities of Portal, Baía and Castelo Grande, with those of Ribeirão Chiqueiro, within the scope of “March – Women’s Month”.
In terms of sport, there is an athletics race to be held on the 13th, in partnership with the Cape Verdean Athletics Federation, covering the Praia Baixo-São Domingos route, with the aim of promoting sports practice and the adoption of of a healthy lifestyle.
Also within the scope of the festivities, the municipality hosts a series of inaugurations, including the roads that give access to the localities of Figueira Branca and Mendes Faleiro Cabral, which took place this Tuesday, 08.
28 years of history
São Domingos, one of the nine municipalities that make up the territory of the island of Santiago, obtained the category of municipality on March 13, 1993, as a result of the merger of the two parishes that, until that date, were part of the municipality of Praia.
The date of March 13th marks the inauguration of the then Municipal Installation Commission, appointed under article 3 of Law nº 97/IV/93, of December 31st, following the creation of our Municipality through Law nº. 96/IV/93, of 13 December.
It has an area of 137.6 Km2 and comprises the parishes of Nossa Senhora da Luz and the parish of São Nicolau Tolentino. The county is bounded to the north by Santa Cruz, to the south by the city of Praia, to the west by Ribeira Grande de Santiago, to the northwest by São Lourenço dos Órgãos and, finally, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.
It consists of about three dozen towns, including Água de Gato, Banana, Mendes Faleiro Rendeiro, Praia Baixo, Milho Branco, Rui Vaz, Praia Formosa, Achada Baleia, Baía, Cancelo, Achada Lama, Várzea da Igreja, Ribeirão Chiqueiro, Nora and Godim.
Jubilee for the 450th anniversary of the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz
São Domingos City Council, despite the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s celebrations of the Municipality’s Day do not fail to have a very special meaning as they will take place within the scope of the jubilee celebrations for the 450th anniversary of the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz , whose emblematic church of the same name is one of the oldest Catholic temples in sub-Saharan Africa.
As A Nação found out, the Solemn Session of the Municipal Assembly, commemorating the 28th Anniversary of the Municipality, will be presided over by the new President of the Republic, José Maria Neves, while Cardinal Dom Arlindo Furtado, Bishop of the Diocese of Santiago, will celebrate, at 9:00 am, the Thanksgiving Mass.
Alcatrazes Bay, where the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz is built, played a leading role in the history of the discovery of Cape Verde and the Island of Santiago, in particular, having been the seat of the former Captaincy of Alcatrazes, created more than five centuries.
The Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz recently underwent a thorough rehabilitation, and it is also worth noting that the community of this parish dreams of building a Marian Sanctuary, thus reinforcing its importance not only as a place of pilgrimage, but also as a reference for the religious, historical and cultural tourism.
In turn, the Municipality of São Domingos defends the creation of an Interpretive Center in Alcatraz, in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of this former Captaincy.
It is recalled that the historical and archaeological complex of Alcatrazes, covering a total area of 2.7 square kilometers, was classified by the Cape Verdean Government as National Heritage, with the Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz as its central area.
For More News And Analysis About Cape verde Follow Africa-Press
