Learn Cape Verdean Kriolu

As a third-generation Cape Verdean American, I grew up surrounded by the sounds of Kriolu. Both sets of my grandparents were born in Brava, Cape Verde, and spoke only Kriolu when they immigrated to the United States. While my older siblings had the privilege of learning the language directly from them, I, like many younger siblings, only picked up a few playful phrases—words like “fastente” (pain in the butt) and “konfida” (show-off) that became part of our family conversations.

My personal journey to reconnect with the Cape Verdean language and culture has been both beautiful and challenging. It’s what inspired me to create resources like the book “Conversational Cape Verdean Kriolu for Everyone”, the new “Conversational Kriolu” app, and my online classes—all designed to help others like me who want to learn, practice, and celebrate Kriolu.

Whether you’re reconnecting with your roots or starting from scratch, I invite you to explore these fun and accessible tools to grow your Kriolu language skills.

 Adebayo is a children’s book author, program engineer, and the owner of Wafunk Publishing. From the very beginning, he has been my steadfast support in shaping the creation of the beloved Pina and Bean characters.

His guidance and expertise provided the foundation for “Conversational Cape Verdean Kriolu for Everyone”, helping to bring clarity and structure to every step of the process. Throughout this journey, Adebayo has shown incredible patience—what I often call “the patience of God”—as he helped me transition my book into an interactive language-learning app "Conversational Krioliu, using the game development platform Unity.

His creative and technical influence continues to be a key part of this project’s success.

You can learn more about his process of "Repourposing Children's Books" process by visiting his page below..

 Gilberto and Carmem Fernandes are the warm and authentic Cape Verdean voices featured in both my book "Conversational Cape Verdean Kriolu For Everyone",and the Conversational Kriolu App. Native to Praia, Cape Verde, their deep knowledge of Kriolu and Cape Verdean culture has ensured that every voiceover feels genuine and true to the language.

Their approach is always quick, friendly, and professional, making them a joy to work with on any project. In addition to their voice work, Gilberto also provided the upbeat island-inspired background music track titled “Don”, which brings extra energy and atmosphere to the app.

I’ve always been able to count on their timely and high-quality delivery, and I’m grateful for the heart and authenticity they bring to this project. Check out his video, "Don" used as our background music clip for the "Conversational Kriolu App".