Maninho Almeida, born in 1948 in Campinho, São Nicolau, Cape Verde, is a distinguished singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist renowned for his mastery of traditional Cape Verdean music. His early exposure to instruments like the guitar, cavaquinho, and violin, under the tutelage of musicians including Santos Vieira, father of Paulino and Toy Vieira, deeply influenced his musical foundation. In 1970, Maninho emigrated to Rotterdam, Netherlands, where he co-founded the group Voz di Sanicolau, composed primarily of fellow maritime workers. Their 1978 album, "Fundo de Marê Palinha," achieved significant acclaim within the Cape Verdean diaspora. After two decades abroad, he returned to Cape Verde in the early 1990s, settling first on the island of Sal and later in Tarrafal, São Nicolau. Maninho's contributions to preserving and promoting Cape Verdean musical traditions have solidified his status as a pivotal figure in the nation's cultural heritage. ([caboverdeamusica.online](https://www.caboverdeamusica.online/maninho-almeida/?utm_source=openai))