Rádio Barlavento

{{short description|Former radio station in Cape Verde}}

{{Infobox radio station

| branding = Rádio Barlavento

| logo = Plaque commemorating Radio Barlavento.jpg

| logo_size = 300px

| caption = This is a plaque commemorating the site where Radio Barlavento broadcast from 1955 until 1974. It notes that it was where the singer Cesaria Evora was first recorded on magnetic tape.

| area = Mindelo, Cape Verde

| airdate = 1955

| last_airdate = 1974

| language = Portuguese

| power = Shortwave

| name = CR4AC

| coordinates = {{Coord|16.8903|-24.9878}}

| owner = Portuguese colonial government

}}

Rádio Barlavento was a radio station in Cape Verde{{cite book |year=2012 |title=Dictionary of African Biography: Abach - Brand, Volume 1 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=266 |isbn=9780195382075}} which broadcast in the Portuguese language from 1955 until 1974. It was a shortwave (CR4AC) station broadcasting on 3930 kHz.{{Cite book|title=Broadcasting on the Short Waves, 1945 to Today.|last=Berg|first=J.S.|publisher=McFarland|year=2012|location=Google-Books-ID: Ux9fZj6izuEC|pages=219}} From 1947 until 1955 it was called Rádio Clube do Mindelo. In 1974 it was seized by members of the Partido Africano da Independência de Guiné-Bissau e Cabo Verde - PAIGC, who sought to "get the station out of hands of those who aligned with colonial power."{{Cite web|url=http://www.rtc.cv/rcv/index.php?paginas=68|title=History of Radio Cabo Verde|last=Santos|first=Humberto|date=May 15, 2017|access-date=2018-01-20|archive-date=2018-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121072139/http://www.rtc.cv/rcv/index.php?paginas=68|url-status=dead}} After this the station became Rádio Voz de São Vicente (lit. Voice of São Vicente). The station served the entire Barlavento island group including Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista. The station was located in a building near downtown Mindelo, which is now the Centro Nacional de Artesanato e Design, and broadcast Cape Verdean traditional music, local programs, and Portuguese and some international programming. Rádio Voz de São Vicente later became an affiliate of RCV, Mindelo's own station would have another separate one and would be named Rádio Nova.

In the early years, Sérgio Frusoni was an announcer at the station, producing the program Mosaico Mindelense in Cape Verdean creole. Also João Cleofas Martins, better known as Djunga Fotografo was also an announcer who appeared at the station. Guitarist Gregorio Gonçalves allowed Cesária Évora to sings at the station who was also first recorded on magnetic tape, a plaque is located on the southwest corner of the exterior or the building reading the existence of the station and of Cesária Évora.