Naky Gaglo
Lisbon’s Afro-Portuguese Community Delivers Experiences Wrapped in History, Culture and Food BY MARGO GABRIEL
18 CUISINE NOIR | ANNUAL 2022/2023
Ana Sofia Lopes African woman everywhere in the world. I’m a whole African woman. And I am a whole Portuguese woman; both coexist as my reality, ” says Ana Sofia Lopes, Portugal native and owner of Sofia’s Place. “I’m my father’s daughter. He was one of the first Cape Verdean entrepreneurs in Lisbon. He owned a business on Rua de São Bento, which is where Sofia’s Place is located. I’m simply following in his footsteps,” shares Lopes. José Lino Neves, vice president of Batoto Yetu (@batotoyetuportugal), regularly hosts walking tours bridging the gap between the past and present. Batoto Yetu often partners with other organizations to bring arts, theater and dance programming to the youth in
Lisbon and the neighboring city of Oeiras. “We bring awareness to the overall Portuguese society with the statues commemorating African presence in Lisbon and beyond. There are a lot of elements that are strongly linked to African knowledge and presence.” Lisbon offers some of the most diverse lifestyle experiences in Europe. These Blackowned or Black-led businesses deliver experiences wrapped in culture, tradition and community building. FOOD AND DRINK Craving Cape Verdean food? Head to Sofia’s Place (@sofia.s.place) in Libson’s São Bento neighborhood for pastel de atum, moamba de galinha and shrimp risotto and a personal favorite, West African lamb chops that pair well with their homemade BBQ sauce. Lopes’s grander mission is to bring the African diaspora together via her monthly Diaspora Fridays dinner series, where she invites a guest chef to curate and cook a multicourse meal that serves as a cultural exchange with diners.
PHOTOGRAPHY: V. SHEREE WILLIAMS AND THAYS PÉRIC
L
ibson is home to a diverse community from around the world. There is also a large Afro-descendant community that often is referred to as PALOP, Portuguese-speaking African nations. The countries that make up this group are Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, GuineaBissau and Mozambique. While the city may now be known as a hub for digital nomads, other citizens from the European Union flock there for the sunny weather, abundant seafood and well-balanced wine. Many from the PALOP community have been born and raised in Portugal and others have immigrated. Both groups have established businesses, foundations and cultural spaces that shape Portugal for what we know it to be. Many creative entrepreneurs of African descent born and raised in Lisbon are candid about the sometimes uphill battle for more visibility and access to opportunities that are at times hard to come by. “Life as an Afro-European in Portugal, I think that it is challenging like being a Black or
