Eugénio Tavares

Eugénio de Paula Tavares was born on October 18, 1867, on the rugged, mountainous island of Brava. Self-taught in literature and music while working as an administrative clerk, Tavares championed the lyrical beauty of Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu) when colonial elites considered it merely a dialect.

Tavares became the supreme composer of the morna—the soulful, melancholic musical genre reflecting the pain of emigration, separation, and love (sodade). His immortal 1904 morna Hora di Bai ('Hour of Departure') remains the universal anthem sung at docks whenever islanders depart for foreign shores. His birthday, October 18, is celebrated nationwide as National Culture Day.