PAYING TRIBUTE

Year after year, since its first edition, the KJF and the city that hosts it, or rather - the fusion between the two parts has been remarkable. Today we can say that the days of the KJF are already a brand moment for the cultural scene of Praia. If it started out being from Praia, the facts show us that it is already a Cabo Verde brand.

The city has always been our stage and the followers our faithful audience. Thanks.

To men of culture in general and to musicians in particular, we also always thank with gratitude, all the inspiration they bring us: to us Harmonia and to our partner who has always walked with us - Praia City Council. Our festival bows down to everything they've done for us, for our music and culture.

In this context, as in previous years, KJF chooses one of these figures to honor: for what he did for our music and for what he added to our culture.

In fact, nobody better than this year's honoree to illustrate the mix between the city and music - the so-called “cultural city”. We are talking about Nhonhô Hoppfer Almada.

Architect by profession, several works mark the city and the island with his signature. Gradually, we believe that the passion he used in each creation was also beginning to be shared with the stage. Quietly, he began to do the nights on the beach, and as the intensity of his passion for music was serious, he began to chart a path and, in 2006, he released his first album “Nhara Santiago”.

Here, the greatness of the artist in promoting our music begins to be noticed - the selection of composers chosen was careful and representative of our music: B.Leza's classic, the specificity of Betu, the smiling lyrics of Nhelas Spencer and the poetry that smells a lot the soil of Kaká Barbosa and Zeze di nha Reinalda.

Our composer asserts himself, is gaining space and his hoarse voice is increasingly singing Cabo Verde and its composers - the class he loved so much and which led him to record his second album in 2018: "Santamaria", a theme of more a composer who made the musician's choices - Mário Lúcio Sousa to which he adds a notable concern for younger composers such as George Tavares Silva and Djoy Amado, the classics Code di Dona and Eugénio Tavares, and this time he goes further, bestowing poetry in the lyrics by the poets Arménio Vieira and José Luís Hopffer Almada.

Nhonhô was already a brand in the promotion of composers, and in his works he always brought together a careful selection of musicians, arrangers and producers, also with the same purpose: to promote Cabo Verdean musicians and their respective musical class.

At this point, Nhonhô already goes beyond music, becoming step by step a staunch and passionate defender of our music in particular and our culture in general. Always in constant cultural activism, he defended many causes, constructively criticized others... always praising the one he chose for his lady-flag - our culture. In 2020 he is decorated by the Government of Cabo Verde with the “Medal of Merit of the First Degree Cultural”

He was a constant presence in all musical and cultural shows and here - with added tenderness - our KJF bows to Nhonhô for the enthusiasm with which he strolled through Praça Luís de Camões in each edition of our festival. Festivals live on followers and Nhonho was one of ours, who moved by musical passion, always toasted the musicians of our posters, ours and his KJF. In fact, Nhonhô toasted with the intensity of a strong embrace - music in general.

For this reason, today our tribute goes to the son of Assomada, who, through his passion for music and our culture, knew how to elevate Cabo Verde and the makers of our culture.

He left us on the first day of the KJF's comeback year, and we accepted his blessing.

Farewell Nhonhô Hoppher Almada.