The Kriol Jazz Festival (a celebrated annual world music event in Praia, Cape Verde, created by producer José Da Silva as a tribute to the late singer Cesária Évora) concluded its 15th edition over the weekend, drawing artists from across Africa and the diaspora to celebrate unity, freedom, and cultural exchange. Performers including Cuban exile pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, Senegalese icon Ismaël Lô, Moroccan Gnawa musician Saad Tiouly, and Congolese rumba legends Les Quatre Étoiles du Zaïre brought diverse sounds together under shared themes of love, dignity, and democratic values. The festival has grown into a landmark event on the African music calendar, embodying Cape Verde's longstanding tradition of cultural openness and its historic connections to the wider African world.