Professor Djick Oliveira prepares to hand over his literary legacy to the public

At 82, the multifaceted teacher, musician, judoka and intellectual, Djick Oliveira, is preparing to transform two decades of intimate writing into a public legacy.

After more than half a century dedicated to training generations in the city of Praia, teaching and culture in Cape Verde, the author announced, in an interview with Inforpress, the publication of three unpublished works for 2026, fictionalized memoirs, a popular novelette in verse, about reasons for a "finçom", co-authored with Nha Gida Mendes and a set of lectures on Cape Verdean music themes.

Between academic rigor and writing seen as "therapy", Henrique Teixeira Oliveira, known affectionately as "Djick", opens up his private universe to share a literary heritage that has matured over time and now seeks a definitive encounter with the reader, proving that immortality dwells as much in the hearts of students as in the pages that are now no longer his alone.

According to the "teacher by vocation, musician by soul and judoka by discipline", now retired from the classroom, but "never from thinking", writing was never a commercial urgency, but rather a therapeutic function.

Thus, he dedicates himself to polishing what he calls his encounter with himself, a literary production kept under lock and key that is now beginning to make its way to the printers, awaiting funding.

"I'm in no hurry, because this writing covers around 20 years of work," reveals the author, with three books ready for publication, and 2026 looming on the horizon as the year when the public will finally be able to access his fictional and biographical universe.

Among the most eagerly awaited works is "Dicionário de Memórias Sensíveis e Alguns Nomes Próprios", far from being a traditional biography, the book presents "fictionalized memories", real experiences transmuted by literature, where the author highlights what the experiences meant for his human and intellectual formation.

Another highlight is his foray into popular poetry with the novelette in verse entitled "Priska Koria co Papaxinho Bera", collected and published by Tomé Varela.

This is an ambitious work that covers more than 90 stanzas and tells a story of passion between a landowner and a peasant girl.

Demonstrating his academic rigor and linguistic sensitivity, Djick has prepared three versions of this novella, the original version (Alupec), another version in traditional Creole and yet another, entirely in Portuguese, with the aim of widening the circle of readers and facilitating access to the work.

With the promise of publications for 2026, Djick Oliveira proves that, like a fruit that ripens without haste, his literature is ready to be harvested, offering readers a part of the "infinite world of people" that he carries within himself.

Teacher Djick has "intellectualized" his profession a lot, but his connection to music is not just practical.

In addition to being the founder of the Cimboa School, he has compiled his years of teaching and research into a third volume, a series of lectures on Cape Verdean music, with a special focus on Morna.

There is also a major work produced for Caixa Económica, which celebrates Cape Verde's musical identity, the roots of batuque and "finaçom".

This project, which includes a CD and an anthology of poetry, could be transformed into an e-book, bringing the rigor of its research to digital format.

When asked once again about the legacy he leaves for Cape Verde after more than 50 years dedicated to the city of Praia and to teaching, Djick Oliveira responds with the serenity of someone who has fulfilled his mission.

"The legacy has been handed down. I will be alive in the hearts of everyone who lived with me," he reiterated.

On death, he speaks with the wisdom of a philosopher, and sees it as a "wise" and necessary event, although he confesses to the emotional anguish of saying goodbye.

Inforpress/End