The West African island of São Vicente, Cape Verde, has vibrant musical and cultural scenes, which with the opening of the new Floating Music Hub now extend to the bay of Mindelo, its capital city. This project from architect and designer Kunlé Adeyemi consists of three separate but linked timber pavilions: a recording studio; a bar; and a multiuse performance space to spotlight African music, dance and art. It’s an idyllic venue to experience live performances of the Cape Verdean morna, a genre made famous by the late Cesária Évora, a legendary singer for whom Mindelo’s airport is named. While São Vicente is small, it is also one of Africa’s fastest growing economies, thanks in part to its burgeoning tourism sector. Among the lodging options in the pipeline: the beachfront Meliá Salamansa, featuring a spa with six swimming pools, as well as 16 new rental lodges from Barefoot Luxury, featuring Scandinavian design combined with locally sourced African handcrafted furniture. —Dorine Reinstein
World's Greatest Places 2021
