Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Cesária Évora – “Mãe Carinhosa”
Mãe Carinhosa

Cesária Évora had an exceptional career. As the world mourned her death in December 2011, everyone dug into her catalog of records, thinking they would never hear any new music from the “Barefoot Diva.” Her longtime collaborator and producer José da Silva was reluctant to release a posthumous album, but after witnessing the overwhelming tributes and sadness at Évora’s passing, he decided to take a look at some of the songs that didn’t make it onto any of her albums.

“I was flooded with ideas and projects after Cesária died. People suggested we do cover albums, fancy tributes, that kind of thing. I decided we should keep it simple, and give the world a new album of songs that, for various reasons, had never made it onto an album before.” – José da Silva

When Cesária Évora wasn’t touring, she was in the studio recording. Over the years, songs accumulated that never made the final version of records. When da Silva looked at the material available, he found most of it was nearly complete. By adding some subtle touches, da Silva put together a seamless listening experience with songs from different periods in Évora’s career. Those songs have been compiled on Cesária Évora’s final release, Mãe Carinhosa (Mother Affection), on Lusafrica.

It’s hard to believe these songs didn’t make it onto any of Évora’s albums. Each track on Mãe Carinhosa is exceptional. Sometimes posthumous albums sound a bit sparse as they were never fully realized, but this is an album the “Queen of Mourna” would have been proud of. Her exceptional voice shines on this record. Listen to “Mãe Carinhosa” above to hear the passion, warmth and tenderness in her voice. From her humble beginnings as a bar singer in Mindelo to selling out major venues and winning prestigious awards (she has a Grammy and a Legion de Honneur to her credit), Évora always sang for the people and 48 hours before her death, she was still receiving folks in her home in Mindelo, which was known for always having its doors open. This collection of mournas and coladeras is one of Évora’s best and serves as a strong finale to her illustrious life.

Back in September, we featured Cesária Évora and her terrific song “Angola.” At that time she announced she was retiring. Unfortunately, Cesária passed away a couple of days ago at the age of 70. Known as the “Barefoot Diva” for going barefoot on stage, Cesária is legendary for popularizing the morna style of music. Carrying a sultry voice that often drew comparisons to Billie Holiday, Cesária had a tough upbringing. When she was seven years old her father died, and at age ten she was placed in an orphanage, as her mother could not raise all six children. A friend convinced her to sing at a sailor’s tavern when she was sixteen and she kept at it. She continued singing on cruise ships during 60′s and 70′s, but it wasn’t until 1985 when she performed in Lisbon that she was noticed by a musician named José da Silva.

José got her into the studio and success soon followed. Her first album, La Diva Aux Pieds Nus, was recorded in France in 1988 and got her a lot of attention. Her 1992 album Miss Perfumado sold over 300,000 copies worldwide. She finally won a grammy award for Voz d’Amor in 2004. Always approachable, Cesária was still receiving people in her home in Mindelo 48 hours before her death. Two days of national mourning have been declared in the small island nation, with President Jorge Carlos Fonseca calling her “one of the major cultural references of Cape Verde.” Known for singing songs of longing with her rich contralto vocals, Cesária will be sorely missed.

Here is another fine performance by Cesária and her group playing “Lua Nha Testemunha.” Enjoy.

The legendary Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora has been forced to cancel her latest tour due to health reasons. Unfortunately she is also retiring from music at the age of 70. Cesária is best known for the morna, a style of music strongly associated with the islands that combines West African percussion with Portuguese fados, Brazilian modhinas, and British sea shanties. Here is an amazing performance of “Angola” at La Bataclan, Paris in 1995. One of the world’s greatest voices will surely be missed. Check out her official website cesaria-evora.com