Dancing, Grilling Spark Cape Verde Fest

The Brockton Post
BROCKTON—Jessica Barbosa manned a table for Vicente’s food market which served up grilled chicken and beef shish kabobs at the 13th annual Cape Verdean festival held Sunday afternoon.
Manny Fonts (pictured below) grilled while Barbosa, 23, and her brother Jason manned a booth for her father’s Main Street shop where she ran into old friends and family members she had not seen in months or years.
"There are a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time," Barbosa said. “It reunites the community,” Barbosa said.
Sunday afternoon hundreds of Cape Verdean families rekindled old acquaintances, danced and sang to the many bands and performers like the dance group Victorious, (Dancer Keiko at right and Vandra Correia gets a dip from Jeslie Louizzia to right, below) and celebrated the community work of one of its own—Manuel “Amilcar” Miranda, a long-time employee at Brockton High School.
Aminah Pilgrim, president of Brockton's Cape Verde Association, said Saturday night, the group unveiled a new award in Miranda’s honor, called the “Manuel “Amilcar” Miranda Service Award, for members of the community who have dedicated their lives to helping the city and its Cape Verdean residents.
Pilgrim, 33, said Miranda worked at Brockton High School for 20 years in several capacities, including as an interpreter for teachers and staff with Cape Verdean residents who did not speak English.
She said he died last year after a long illness.
“He dedicated his life to service to our community,” Pilgrim said. “He worked for 20 years to help the city of Brockton and his people,” she said.
Pilgrim said Miranda was beloved by Cape Verdeans who called him Amilcar—a beloved nickname denoting respect and a fatherly influence that comes from the reverence of Amilcar Cabral, considered the father of Cape Verdean independence.
During the festival, which began at 1 p.m. at City Hall for the raising of the Cape Verdean flag, Mayor James Harrington made remarks, as de Maria de Jesus Mascarenhas, Consul General of the Cape Verdean Embassy in Boston, who visited with her daughter, Nadine.
“I’m so happy to be here,” Mascarenhas said as she browsed the stalls where vendors were selling T-shirts, cell phone service and food. “I wish the people of Brockton and the Cape Verde my very best,” she said.