Farsighted Fly Girl

Cesaria Evora evoked the longing and melancholy of Cape Verde's morna  like no other singer. The island nation of Cape Verde is located miles from the West African coast and centuries of isolation and frequent emigration by the small population helped develop the national music of yearning called morna.  Cesaria cradled the nuanced melodies of morna  in her supple contralto voice so that no translation was needed. Morna is frequently compared to blues and Cesaria evoked the bearing of a true blues diva.  She gained international fame as a hard-drinking, cigarette-smoking, grandmother who always performed barefoot in solidarity with the poor. Her voice is haunting and unforgettable and her legacy will live on through 10 albums, a Grammy and the countless lives that she touched.

It's a steamy, hazy, August day in Chicago and for me nothing captures the listlessness of a hot summer day better than Cape Verdean music. The melodies skip playfully but the tone still manages to sound languid. I have quite a few favorites, including Sara Tavares and Lura. I saw Lura a few weeks ago, swirling around sensuously and raising the roof (figuratively) of Millennium Park with her dynamic vocals. Most of the audience was mesmerized, even though they clearly had no idea where or what, Cape Verde was. Save for the looming presence of Cesaria Evora and her powerful interpretations of classic Cape Verdean mornas, the music of this isolated archipelago off the coast of Senegal, West Africa is mostly unknown by the West. Colonized by the Portuguese and largely ignored for most of its 500 years of occupation, the 10 small islands are prone to devastating drought as well as constant emigration. Since the country’s independence in 1975, there are more Cape Verdeans living abroad ...