Cape Verde. Saõ Vincente. Mindelo. The Mandingas of Ribeira Bote celebrate the coming of Carnival in the streets of Mindelo. The Mandingas have the city permission to parade from the neighborhood of Ribeira Bote / Ilha d'Madeira all the way to the city centre. Their entire bodies are greased in with oil and black paint. They are dressed with traditional loincloths, "skirts", necklaces and carry weapons, such as axes and guns, used during the parade, transforming them into Mandinga warriors, as a homage to the Mandinka people of Senegal, Mali, Gambia and Guinea. The « African » warriors create a unique, fun and chaotic carnival atmosphere. São Vicente (Portuguese for "Saint Vincent") is one of the Barlavento Islands of Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, which is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa. 2.03.2025 © 2025 Didier Ruef