By Sam McDonald

Sara Tavares is just the sort of artist who often falls through the cracks of American media.

She’s a talented singer from Portugal who makes lovely must that combines the moods and melodies of African and American soul.

The tunes on her album “Balance” resemble gentle, relaxing bossa nova tunes, but with a delicious twist.

Although Tavares grew up in Lisbon, Portugal, her roots are in Cape Verde, Africa.

She performs on acoustic guitar, and when she plays tonight in Hampton at The American Theatre, she’ll be backed by a band. You could think of her as a world music version of Norah Jones.

“The whole album is like little lullabies to myself,” she said in a press release. All the messages are about self-esteem, loving yourself. About like what is different in you, about integrating all the parts of you.”

Tavares makes music that is hybrid of many things, which means it can be difficult to explain to the consumer. And unfortunately, the American music business isn’t always adept at selling music that’s hard to label of categorize. The fact that she sings in a foreign language only complicates the situation.

No matter, though, Tavares said she is happy with the exposure she’s gotten in the United States.

And although Tavares sings with a Cape Verdean accent, her music is very much her own. “I have lots of respect for the traditions of that country,” she told Sound Check. “I feel it and I love it and I try to recognize in it something that’s part of my identity. But I’m not here. I prefer to connect that with the music of my generation, the reality of the diaspora. There are lots of kids like me, growing up outside Africa, but rooted in that movement.”

Tavares performs at 8 tonight at the American Theater, 125 Mellen St., Hampton. Tickets are $30. For more information, call 722-2787 or visit www.theamericatheatre.com.