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CD Review
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Sing Out!, CD Review >>
Think of Sara Tavares as the new sound of Cape Verde. For here there's little of the aching morna that typifies Cesaria Evora, the queen of the islands. Instead she's more upbeat, bringing in influences from Brazil, across the Caribbean and from reggae, as well as the multiculturalism of her adopted home in Europe to sweeten the brew. Gifted with a sweet, open and inviting voice, she's a multi-talented person, not only a superb vocalist, but also an exceptional writer, arranger and producer. At the age 27, she's an assured performer, and this album of what she calls " little lullabies to myself" is a warm as any disc you'll hear this year. There's plenty of invention in her arrangements--"Poka Terra," for example, crosses Africa with its mix of Afrobeat and Angolan samba, blending the two seamlessly, while "Planeta Sukri" blends Cape Verdean coladeira with a strong reggae groove, to a heady effect. It's a testament to her intelligence as an artist that she stakes our her own territory, avoiding direct comparison with Evora's iconic firgure.
For now, she's concerned with establishing herself, and on the evidence found here, that shouldn't be a problem. Tavares has the wherewithal to become a major musical figure, one who easily crosses the Atlantic to bring together Africa and the Americas, with just that smidgen of old world sophistication. 08/01/06
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