Carlos de Graça

Carlos da Graça owned the Madison Portuguese Deli in the heart of the Cape Verdean section of Bridgeport for many years. He trained as a chef on the island of Sal from a young age, then joined family in Bridgeport in 1986. Carlos knows many traditional songs, learned from the regular musical gatherings people would attend often in Cape Verde. He composed five songs on his first CD Mae, including a coladeira about the village where he was born, and the morna Despedida (Goodbye), with its typically nostalgic lyrics "I leave but I take your flag in my heart." He also produced a CD entitled “Destiny”. Carlos performs at Cape Verdean festivals across New England.