Vibrant Cape Verdean culture draws people to drab Lisbon outskirt

A photograph of Cape Verde's singing legend Cesaria Evora sits inside a restaurant in Cova da Moura neighbourhood in Lisbon, Portugal, November 23, 2018. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante

LISBON (Reuters) - Just a 20-minute drive from downtown Lisbon lies Cova da Moura, one of Portugal's poorest and most neglected neighbourhoods, but whose immigrants from Cape Verde are transforming the area's image.

Long considered a no-go area by Lisbon residents, Cova da Moura is a warren of small streets where Cape Verdeans make up two-thirds of the 6,000 residents. They celebrate their home, a tiny archipelago off Africa's west coast, with music, food and street art - which tourists increasingly want to experience.