One of the things we’ve really enjoyed about Mindelo has been its quiet, small-town feel. Even after a few weeks, we are recognizing people, and we know our way around. And the peacefulness of being on a beach all by yourself can’t be beat! All that changed on Sunday, with the start of Carnaval in Mindelo.
Preparations for Carnaval have been going on for nearly a year, with rehearsals, sewing costumes, and building floats. Actually, preparations have been going on for even longer, since Carnaval did not occur in 2021 or 2022. For weeks there have been parties and parades of schoolchildren, and the mandinga parades have occurred every Sunday since New Year’s. (These parades are peculiar to Carnaval in Mindelo: people oil and tar their skin, dress as warriors, and march through the streets. On the culminating day they bury two coffins in the sea. We’ve learned that this is a way for Cabo Verdeans to pay homage to their African heritage.)
The Big Day: Carnaval in Mindelo
Mindelo’s Carnaval features four groups or schools, each of which puts on an elaborate parade with several floats. Monday night features the Samba Tropical, a newer group which does not compete for the main prize. People we were standing with told us that one of the women in the group died on Monday. So the crowd felt mixed emotions. On Monday, we were on the main street, at the start of the parade, which lasted for many hours. Still, the crowd was lively and well-behaved. People sold popcorn, peanuts, and drinks, and many ‘amateurs’ got in on the fun, walking the route, waving and taking bows, before the parade.
But Tuesday was the big day, and big it was! First, there was a memorial parade for the woman who died, and then the full four groups. The parade (allegedly) started at 6:30 but many people were saving their spots all day. We’d bought tickets to sit in the stands, which made things much easier to see. Each group’s parade took between half an hour and forty minutes, and there was about half an hour break between each. We loved that the participants ranged in age from about ten to significantly older than us – Carnival in Mindelo is a lifetime pursuit!
We don’t love crowds, but this was a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (and with a fraction of the people in Brazil). So we’re really glad we stayed up past our bedtimes. Two nights in a row!
