Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Expresso das Ilhas
Published on 2024-03-21 09:17:36
Writer Dina Salústio defended this Thursday, in Praia city, that poetry in Cape Verde is on a “good path”, but recommended young poets to dedicate themselves to reading and researching the genre.
In a conversation with Inforpress, on the occasion of World Poetry Day, celebrated on March 21st, Dina Salústio expressed her opinion on the current state of poetry in Cape Verde, highlighting that, although there is progress, there is still room for improvement and development in the country’s poetic scene.
“We are a country of poets, to the point that as soon as we write a poem, we are already poets,” said the poet, in a relaxed manner, to show the importance and value that poetry holds in the cultural identity of the Cape Verdean people.
“Everyone tends to appreciate poetry because it is one of the elements that strengthens our land, this poetry of rocks, sea, wind, the imagination that provokes us. All of this makes us see Cape Verde with a poetic view and this is also a bit of strength for us because it is a place so lacking in resources that we often have to resort to the poetic side, imagination, fantasy to survive,” she emphasized.
According to the writer, Cape Verde is considered a country of poets also because of music, as it is all based on a “constant, strong, and engaging” poetry.
The country, according to Dina Salústio, is blessed with “great poets”, men and women, who seek to reveal the poetic essence of everyday life. “It is not an easy task, but they strive to show that poetry is not just about beauty and victories, but also about challenging moments,” she claimed.
“Poetry is a refined language! Fortunately, Cape Verde has many poets and we are increasingly seeing more poetry being published,” she noted.
For young poets, the writer encourages them to read a lot of poetry because, as she said, “nothing is invented. Each one with their creativity, but all of this needs to fit into a specific field to be considered poetry.”
“We must read a lot of poetry to develop a taste for poetry, understand the essence of poetry, recite it, and learn to write it,” she advised, emphasizing that Cape Verde is on the right track.
However, for Dina Salústio, the path is never complete, and there is always room for more creativity and innovations that stimulate enhanced writing.
World Poetry Day was created at the 30th General Conference of UNESCO on November 16, 1999.
The date celebrates the diversity of dialogue, the free creation of ideas through words, creativity, and innovation. The day aims to emphasize the importance of reflecting on the power of language and developing each individual’s skills. This is because poetry contributes to creative diversity, influencing our perception and understanding of the world.
Dina Salústio, whose real name is Bernardina Oliveira, was born in Santo Antão in 1941.
She published a collection of 35 stories titled “Mornas eram as noites” in 1994, and made her debut in novel writing with “A Louca de Serrano” in 1998.
In addition to these writings, Dina Salústio, who has received several awards throughout her career, is also the creator of poems and various other texts.
In addition to her writing career, she has worked as a teacher, social worker, and journalist in Cape Verde, Portugal, and Angola.
Read the original article(Portuguese) on Expresso das Ilhas
