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Widely considered Cape Verde's finest and most popular female vocalist, Cesaria Evora recreates the dreamy atmosphere of her native island home with a luscious blend of intoxicating vocals and compelling lyrics. She is known as the queen of moma, the islands' sweet, soulful version of the blues, which fuses West African rhythms and European sensibilities with Caribbean and Brazilian influences.
Cesaria Evora was bom in the town of Mindelo, on the Cape Verdean island of Sao Vincente. With the decline of the port of Mindelo in the late 1950s and independence from Portugal in 1975, trade in Cape Verde rapidly diminished. Much of the islands' population emigrated; however, Ms. Evora remained.
It was not until 13 years later that she traveled to Paris to record several albums: "La Diva au Pieds Nus ("The Barefoot Diva")," (1988), "Distino di Belita" (1990) and "Mar Azul" (1991).
In 1992, when the singer was 52, more than 200,000 French listeners discovered her voice with the release of "Miss Perfumado," an album that finally gave her international attention. Her self-titled release on Nonesuch in 1995 was nominated for a Grammy Award, and the world discovered the blues of Cape Verde and the magic of Cesaria Evora.
Both her 1997 release, "Cabo Verde," and 1998 re-release of "Miss Perfumado" were nominated for Grammy Awards. In 1999, Ms. Evora re-released "Mar Azul" on Nonesuch Records and also released the Grammy nominated Cafe Atlantico on BMG Classics/RCA Victor.
In June 2001, she released "Sao Vincente," her ninth album, named for her island home in Cape Verde, followed in 2002 by "The Very Best of Cesaria Evora" (BMG Classics/RCA Victor).
In March 2006, Ms. Evora released "Rogamar" (RCA Victor), her 10th album since her 1988 debut. This newest release features a collection of Ms. Evora's old standards, paired with her collaborative efforts with some of Mindelo's youngest and most innovative songwriters.
Opening is Tcheka, another native of Cape Verde, who is best known for modernizing batuque, one of the most popular African beats of Santiago Island. Batuque was originally played by women to celebrate harvest festivals, births and marriages, and to commemorate deaths.
Tcheka's most recent album, "Nu Monda," won the prestigious Discoveries Awcird in 2005 from Radio France International (RFI).
Tickets are priced at $50, $40, and $30. For tickets and information call World Music (617) 876-4275 or buy online at www.WorldMusic.org. The Berklee Performance Center is at 136 Massachusetts Ave.
06/21/07
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