Jacqueline Fortes

Jacqueline Fortes is an influential Cape Verdean singer, born in 1954 in Dakar, Senegal, to Cape Verdean parents. Although she never lived in Cape Verde, she was immersed in Cape Verdean culture and music from an early age, influenced by her mother, who played the guitar and cavaquinho and taught her Cape Verdean Creole.

At the age of 19, Fortes began her musical career in Senegal, performing with a local variety group in nightclubs and on television. Her first public performance of Cape Verdean music was in 1978 with the band Kings. In 1979, she visited Cape Verde for the first time and performed at the independence celebrations in Mindelo.After a period in Lisbon, where she collaborated with the legendary singer Bana, Fortes settled in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1982, where she continues to live today. She has released six albums, including Seis One Na Tarrafal (1980), Dialogue (1987), Curaçon Calma (1991), Valor di Amor (1997), and Terra d’Nhas Gente (2010).

Fortes is known for her powerful and melodious voice, through which she interprets traditional Cape Verdean music styles such as morna, coladeira, funaná, mazurka, and colá. In 2025, she celebrates 50 years in music—a milestone marked by concerts and new musical projects.

Jacqueline Fortes is considered an icon of Cape Verdean music, keeping the country’s cultural heritage alive and inspiring new generations.