Cape Verdean Roots: Cesaria Evora was born in 1941 in Mindelo, Cape Verde. The Cape Verde Islands are an extremely impoverished archipelago off the coast of Senegal. They are inhabited by the descendants of both African slaves and Portuguese slave traders. The Cape Verde islands are considerably dry, surrounded by water but seldom seeing rain.
A Musical Family: Cesaria Evora comes from a musical family. Her father was a violinist, and her uncle played clarinet. Her father died when she was quite young, but in her late teens and early twenties, she would occasionally perform with her uncle in bars throughout the island. She also performed with her own band. Generally, she performed for tips or drinks, never making much money out of the deal.
A Hiatus: In the early 1970s, Cesaria Evora stopped performing altogether to raise her family. This was a time of considerable joy and heartbreak for her, as she was loved and left by several men. She did not perform again until 1985.
Return to the Stage: A Cape Verdean women's organization invited Evora to record a demo CD as part of a promotional effort for the islands. This demo became the album Tchintchi Roti, which caught the ear of French-Cape Verdean record producer José da Silva, who invited her to Paris to record. These sessions resulted in La Diva aux Pieds Nus ("The Barefoot Diva"), which garnished her a great deal of renown among the French press.
Worldwide Recognition: The 1992 release of Miss Perfumado turned Evora into a bona fide star in France, but it wasn't until her 1995 eponymous release that Evora was introduced to the United States. She quickly became a star in the World Music scene, and on her subsequent U.S. tour, orchestra seats at her shows were literally filled with American superstars: people like Madonna and Branford Marsalis caught her New York show.
Awards: The album Cesaria Evora was nominated for a Grammy in 1995, and several more Grammy nominations and major awards followed. In 2003, Voz D'Amor finally won her a Grammy.
Her Sound: Evora is frequently compared to divas like Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf, but her sound is all her own. She sings a style of music called morna. Morna is considered the major indigenous form of music on the Cape Verde islands, but, like the American Blues, is really a relatively new form of music, deeply rooted in tradition. The music is heavily rhythmic, but deeply plaintive and sad. Evora's voice is sultry with a touch of roughness.
"The Barefoot Diva": Cesaria Evora is known as "The Barefoot Diva". She generally performs in bare feet, as a sign of solidarity for the large number of women and children back home in the Cape Verdean Islands who cannot afford shoes. In recent years, Evora has become a spokeswoman for international hunger organizations with the primary goal of helping Cape Verdean children.
Whiskey and Cigarettes: Evora is known for her propensity towards whiskey and cigarettes, and perhaps it's these influences that have given her honey-sweet voice the slight edge that makes it so unique. Once, when performing in Berkeley, California, a city known for its stringent anti-smoking laws, Evora found herself needing a cigarette mid-set. As the story goes, she looked at the audience, shrugged, and lit one up. They applauded vigorously.
Related Artists: Similarly expressive songstresses worldwide include the aforementioned Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf, as well as Brazilian Susana Baca, gospel blues singer Katie Campbell, and any number of others. However, if it's morna you're looking for, check out Evora's protégé Fantcha, as well as Maria Alice.
