‘Barefoot diva’ Cesaria Evora dies at 70

Songstress Cesaria Evora, who held several concerts in Romania in recent years, died on December 17.

She had been suffering from heart problems and diabetes for some time.

Evora was one of the most renowned singers of morna, a music and dance genre from Cape Verde.

She was born on August 27, 1941 in Mindelo, Sao Vicente island, Cape Verde and had a hard but interesting life. She lost her father when she was seven and three years later she was placed in an orphanage since her mother had other five siblings to raise.

She started singing in the 1960s, on Portuguese cruise ships stopping at Mindelo as well as on the local radio. She was discovered in Lisbon, Portugal, by musician José da Silva but rose to international fame in 1988 when she released her first album La Diva Aux Pieds Nus recorded in France.

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More international fame came in 1995 when she released the third album called simply Cesaria, which also brought her a Grammy nomination. In 2004, her album Voz d’Amor was awarded a Grammy in the World music category.

Even though she gained international acclaim, the songstress did not forget her humble origins. She continued to live in Cape Verde and cooked for 100 poor people every day, which is what she did even a day before she died. When she was away, she hired a cook especially for this.
Otilia Haraga