Festa da
Ernestina It was a
perfect night for a party and at "Festa da
Ernestina" a great time was had by all! On
Saturday, August 18, starting at 5pm, the corner
of Elm and N. Water Streets in New Bedford became
"Plaza da Ernestina" in celebration of
one of the great symbols Cape Verdean and Cape
Verdean American cultural heritage: Schooner
Ernestina.
Sponsors were the Cape Verdean
News, Integrity Mechanical Contractors, Inc., the
Cape Verdean-American Veterans Association,
Merchant Mariners Social Club, the Bisca
Tournament Club, the Exxon Annuity Club, the
Essence Grille, and The Potting Bench.
The neighboring Essence Grille
served food and drink, both indoors and out,
offering their usual menu, along with special
Cape Verdean cuisine items as part of the
celebration. Thanks for the authentic menu items
is due to Mrs. Joyce Cruz, who volunteered not
only her recipes, but came in to help Essence
Grille's executive chef, Loretta Imbriglio,
prepare for the festa! Other volunteers helping
Ernestina staff to produce and host the event
were Toni DePina, Irene and Bill Morin and Paul
and Louise Anthony.
Festive décor included a
canopy of lights, colorful table decorations and
miniature Schooner Ernestina replicas. The air
was filled with the music of the popular Ivo
Pires Band, widely known for their lively,
authentic repertoire of traditional and
contemporary Cape Verdean dance music. The aroma
of Cape Verdean dishes mixed with the echoes of
the mornas and the coladeras, as
friends, old and new, took to the dance floor.
Featured speakers were Tom
Lopes, editor of the Cape Verdean News and Laura
Pires, one of the original organizers of the
movement to bring Ernestina from Cape Verde back
to the U.S. in the 1970s. Laura spoke of
the dedicated early efforts of those who began
the work of preservation and oganizational growth
and commended the ongoing efforts of all friends
of Ernestina. Tom, likewise, was active during
that period as a state representative and worked
on the political front to develop the
Commonwealth legislation creating the Schooner
Ernestina Commission.
Current Schooner Ernestina
Commissioners Dr. Bruce Rose and Judge Bettina
Borders were in attendance and were introduced to
the crowd by Executive Director Gregg Swanzey.
Later in the evening, historic
video clips, edited and prepared especially for
the occasion by Mr. Lopes, were shown on a
two-story canvas screen. His production,
"Mystery Lady," included footage from
Cape Verde, showing Ernestina's departure for the
U.S. in 1982. A second segment pictured Schooner
Ernestina at the 1986 Statue of Liberty
celebration in New York Harbor. Also shown was
Ernestina's info-video, produced and edited by
award-winning media artist and editor, Randal
Goux.
Public Program Director: Tom
Goux
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