Cesaria Evora


Cesaria Evora is a legend. Her personality, her life, her story, everything seems to come out of a novel, and yet it's all true. Cesaria, known as Cize to her friends, was born on 27 August 1941 in Mindelo, the main town of São Vicente Island. As a girl she had a lively voice and attractive appearance, but her talent wasn't recognized until she was nearly 50 years old. She had to wait until 1988 for a young Cape Verdean émigré, José Da Silva, to invite her to Paris to make an album. The press followed this late blossoming out almost immediately. Comparing her to Billie Holiday, she was also stood out for her taste for cognac and tobacco.

In 1993, her album Miss Perfumado was a sensation, and in Lisbon, the police had to hold back the crowds in front of the hall where she was performing. In 1995, she was chosen for the Grammy Awards and made her first American tour, which drew celebrities like Madonna and David Byrne among the huge New York crowd. In 2004 her album Voz d’Amor bagged the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album of the Year. A year later, Cize recorded Rogamar in Mindelo, Paris and Rio de Janeiro. It was released in March 2006. This tenth album featured duos with Africa Nossa and Ismael Lo. Since it was brought out, Cesaria has alternated between rest in Mindelo and worldwide tours. In the spring 2008 this included concerts in the Antipodes and western Europe.

March 5th 2008

Artist website