Baltazar Lopes da Silva

Baltasar Lopes da Silva was born in the village of Caleijão on the island of São Nicolau in Cape Verde on April 23, 1907. Having completed his secondary studies at the São Vicente seminar, he traveled to Portugal to study at the University of Lisbon. During his time in Lisbon, Baltasar Lopes studied with important names in Portuguese culture, such as Vitorino Nemésio and Câmara Reis. He graduated in Romanesque Law and Philology, having always obtained excellent results during his studies at the University of Lisbon. After the University, Baltasar Lopes returned to Cape Verde, where he held the position of professor at the Liceu Gil Eanes in São Vicente. After some years, he was appointed rector of this Lycée. He even left the most educated Portuguese colony to teach in Leiteria (Portugal) for a brief period, but due to the issues of relationship with Portuguese politics at that time, he returned to Cape Verde where he continued educating and practicing law. His last days were spent in Lisbon, where he was transferred to treat a cerebrovascular disease. He died shortly after, on 28 May 1989.

In 1936, Baltasar Lopes, with the collaboration of other writers such as Manuel Lopes, Manuel Ferreira, António Aurélio Gonçalves, Francisco José Tenreiro, Jorge Barbosa and Daniel Felipe, founded the Cape Verdean magazine Claridade (a magazine of short stories, essays and poems). With this magazine, the writers denounced the problems of their society. Baltasar Lopes, together with his collaborators, created better conditions for the knowledge of the roots of Cape Verdean culture.

In general, the following works count for the writings of Baltasar Lopes:
- Chiquinho, 1947;
 - Cape Verde seen by Gilberto Freyre, 1956;
 - The Creole dialect of Cape Verde, 1957;
 - Antologia da Ficção Cabo-Verdeana Comtemporânea, 1961;
 - Cântico da Manhã Futura (poems), 1986 (with the poetic name of Osvaldo Alcântara);
 - The works and the days (short stories), 1987.