| Cesaria Evora |
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 Following her headline performance at WOMADelaide 2008, Cesaria Évora, A.K.A ‘the Barefoot Diva’ and ‘Queen of Morna’, will perform her unique and soulful style of singing for Melbourne audiences. Hailing from the island of Cape Verde, her sultry voice has spellbound audiences worldwide, transcending language with the emotion of her performances.
The illustrious cigar-chomping singer is acclaimed for her signature compositions, an enrapturing repertoire of ‘mornas’ (slow-paced, blues-steeped songs with mournful and often fatalistic lyrics) and ‘coladeras’ (spirited up-tempo songs that share a kinship with Brazilian samba) sung in Creole-Portuguese. It was her distinctive vocals, however, that transfixed the world music community.
Évora first learned to sing in an orphanage choir. As a teenager she learned the traditional Cape Verdean styles of music (coladeras and mornas) and began singing in local bars and hotels. She proved popular with the locals but, unfortunately wasn’t able to make a good living from her passion. In 1975, Cape Verde gained independence but the end of five centuries of Portuguese rule plunged the country into turmoil. Frustrated by personal and financial problems, compounded by the very difficult economic and political situation in Cape Verde, Évora gave up singing to support her family. She didn't perform for 10 years – her ‘dark years’.
At the encouragement of Bana, a leading musician and patron of the arts, Cesária resumed performing. Bana, a Cape Verdean exile living in Portugal, secured invitations to Portugal where Cesária performed a series of concerts sponsored by a local women's organisation.
In 1988 and with nothing to lose, she was persuaded to go to Paris and record an album, La diva aux pieds nus (The Barefoot Diva). It was to be her breakthrough album, winning critical acclaim, and was the start of a dramatic comeback that accelerated with her 1992 album, Miss Perfumado. Évora became an international star at the relatively late age of 47.
After steadily amassing a devoted following, today Évora is one of the world’s most recognizable and sublime singers – a true concert hall favourite, with five gold records, five Grammy nominations and one Grammy Award and sales of more than five million albums worldwide.
Her discography comprises ten studio recordings, two best-of albums and a dance/electro remix collection, Club Sodade, which includes 12 unique reconstructions produced by Carl Craig, one of the most important names in techno producers and DJs. Her latest album, Rogamar, (praise the sea, pray to the sea) is a celebration of the sea.
Like a finely-tuned instrument, Évora's fabulously textured voice blends with sounds from her eight-piece band of guitar, cavaquinho, violin, piano, percussion and saxophone. The result is sentimental folk tunes with a bluesy sound and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Melbourne audiences are in for a truly special experience when the Barefoot Diva comes to town.
“…melodies as graceful and knowing as the Mona Lisa’s smile.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Her voice doesn’t come at you all at once. She will not bellow
songs for effect or attention, nor will she attack the notes as if they
owe her money. It is a subtle, unlabored sound, dramatic but not
flamboyant, which washes over listeners slowly but indelibly.”
Renée Graham, THE BOSTON GLOBE
The Arts Centre and Arts Projects Australia present
Cesaria Évora
Venue: The Arts Centre, Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Date/Time: Sunday 2 March 8pm
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 136 166, www.ticketmaster.com.au or at the Arts Centre
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Thursday, 08 January 2009
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