Artist:Cesaria Evora
Song:Cintuaro Tem Mele
Album:Anthologie: Momas & Coladeras
Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora became an international success in the early 90s almost by accident. A decade earlier she quit singing because she couldn't make a living. The success was short lived due to health problems that led to her 2011 death. She was born Aug. 27, 1941 in Mindelo, Cape Verde one of seven children. Her father was a violinist. But he died and Cesaria's mom worked as a cook and a maid to support the family. She was raised by her grandmother and then moved to an orphanage. At age 16, Cesaria began a romantic relationship with a guitarist who thought she could make money performing in bars. She became the headliner at Mindelo's Cafe Royal and performed on radio. She probably could have performed in Europe but chose not to. It got so bad that she retired from music in the 70s and sunk into alcoholism and depression. Cesaria returned to music in 1985 when the Organization of Cape Verdean Women asked her to appear on an album of women's music. She toured the US and performed with singer Bana at a restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal. And that's when she was discovered by Lusafrica owner Jose da Silva, a Cape Verdean native living in Paris. Cintuaro Tem Mele is from her 1991 album Mar Azul. The album was picked up in the US by Nonesuch. So now she's touring internationally. She even won a Grammy for the 2004 album Voz d'Amor. That's when Cesaria's health started to decline. She suffered a stroke in 2008 while on tour in Australia. And she suffered a heart attack and died on Sept. 17, 2011 at age 70. This 2CD budget comp covers her music. Here's Cesaria Evora performing Cintuaro Tem Mele in Paris 1995.
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