• Music

Vickie Tavares Vieira

b. 1925- d. 2013

Vickie was known for having developed a style of interpreting Cape Verdean music with a jazz twist.  Like her brother, Flash Tavares, Vickie cultivated her musical intuition without any formal vocal training.  But music permeated her Fox Point neighborhood, and with an eager ear and beautifully melodic voice, Vickie became a popular and incredibly engaged figure in the local Cape Verdean community.  At the age of 19, Vickie began singing with local bands, under the supervision of her brother Flash.  Her first band performances debuted alongside“Cut” Cardoza (a fellow Fox Pointer) and once Flash took the lead, she became initiated as a full band member, often performing duets in either a traditional Cape Verdean vein or in an American jazz styling.  While Flash toured the Bay area, Vickie finally took flight and toured the East coast, from Cape Cod to New York. As the premier heroine of American Cape Verdean music, Vickie joined the Skyliners band, recorded with Phil Barboza’s Orchestra, sang with the Duke Oliver Band, and consistently graced various Cape Verdean and folk festivals. After her successful career touring, Vickie returned to her Rhode Island roots and rejoined her sibling duet with Flash.  Her musical legacy is cherished by the Foxpoint community and the greater Cape Verdean audience as she was featured in the 2006 Cape Verdean Hall of Fame by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission. Vickie Tavares Vieira died January, 21, 2013, but will be remembered as the premier American Cape Verdean singer of her time.

– Cheyenne Morrin & Jeanine Mason

Image Source (Top): - Cape Verdean Museum -

Flash and Vickie perform at Christmas Mass

Flash Tavares said that he and his sister Vickie got their musical start performing at local churches and halls, specifically the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus. They performed sometimes at special Masses, including Christmas and Easter. - Jeanine Mason

1950s

Vickie and Flash wow club members at the Cape Verdean Progressive Center

Flash and Vickie began performing at local venues, and often came to the Cape Verdean Progressive Center to perform "when there was only a bar in the front." The siblings are well known and well-loved at the Center, and have returned several times in old age to again put on a show for their community, including a special performance in 2001. - Jeanine Mason

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