Oversoul Theatre Collective Enhances Citywide Arts Programming For Cape Verdean Heritage Month

This July, as New Bedford celebrates Cape Verdean Heritage Month, Oversoul Theatre Collective, Inc. (OTC) is taking to the streets, parks, and public spaces with a full lineup of arts programming that amplifies Cape Verdean voices and honors Black and Indigenous creative traditions.

The month kicks off on July 3 at 5 PM, when OTC returns to Monte's Park for a SOUL on the MOVE Pop-Up Dance Party in celebration of Cape Verdean Independence Week. The choice of Monte's Park is deliberate: for generations, this space has served as a cultural gathering place for Cape Verdean families-hosting cookouts, reunions, and Independence Day celebrations. OTC's SOUL on the MOVE series, launched in May, continues to build on that history with free outdoor dance events that blend house music with Afro-diasporic and Cape Verdean rhythms.

The celebration continues on July 5, when OTC's underground dance music collective WAMPTRONICA will bring a mobile DJ set to the Cape Verdean Recognition Parade, weaving Morna melodies with house music beats as part of the citywide procession.

Additional SOUL on the MOVE sessions will pop up on July 10 at Abolitionist's Row Park (5 PM) and July 15 at Buttonwood Park near the library (5 PM)-furthering OTC's commitment to making dance and music accessible in neighborhoods across the city.

On July 19, OTC presents the inaugural Forgotten Roots Festival at Interwoven Artist Studio (634 Pleasant Street, 3-8 PM). This new acoustic music festival will highlight Blues, Soul, Rock-Hop, Afrobeat, and New England Folk, with performances by local and regional artists. Designed to honor the often-overlooked Black and Indigenous musical traditions that shaped the region's soundscape, the festival grew from a community-led planning process that OTC helped facilitate.

To close out the month, OTC will feature The GroovaLottos, a multi-Grammy-nominated soul-funk band with Cape Verdean roots, performing on July 25 as part of New Bedford's Summer Sound Series on the waterfront.

Behind this surge in community-centered programming is Raeha Ramos, now in her second year as OTC's Executive Director. Born and raised in a Cape Verdean family in New Bedford, Ramos returned to the city in 2022 after spending two decades in Texas working in the legal field. Her professional experience in administration, combined with her personal connection to the city's cultural fabric, has brought a fresh vision to OTC's mission.

"For me, it's about being present in the community in real and joyful ways," Ramos says. "Growing up here, I know how important places like Monte's Park are to Cape Verdean families. It's powerful to bring the arts into those spaces and see people dancing, gathering, and celebrating together."

Ramos's history with OTC runs deep. In 1997, she appeared in a citywide production of For Colored Girls, a project supported by the Collective. Her younger brother later participated in OTC's youth programs at the New Bedford Boys & Girls Club.

After returning home, Ramos began volunteering with OTC and quickly moved into leadership, working alongside founding Artistic Director Mwalim Peters to build both short- and long-term strategies for the organization.

Her family's ties to community institutions like the Cape Verdean Ultra-Marine Band Club, Cape Verdean Veterans Memorial Hall, Martha Briggs Educational Club, Our Lady of Assumption Church, and the B.P.O.E. ELKS have shaped her community-first approach-an ethos clearly reflected in OTC's July programming.

With support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, New Bedford Creative, MassDevelopment TDI, the Osborne Trust Fellowship, the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, and Polyphonic Studios, OTC continues to focus on arts programming that uplifts underrepresented voices and fosters cultural celebration across the city.

For a full schedule of July events and more information about Oversoul Theatre Collective, visit: http://linktr.ee/oversoultheatrecollective