Photo courtesy of UApresents

World music vocalist Cesaria Evora struts her barefoot stuff. Evora will perform tonight at 7:30 in Centennial Hall.

Tuesday October 9, 2001

Internationally famous "barefoot diva" to perform at Centennial

Many famous musicians have certain traditions and habits they follow before, during and after a performance. For internationally renowned vocalist Cesaria Evora, going sans shoes is a must.

"Everywhere I go to sing, I sing barefoot," Evora said in a Miami Herald interview.

"It's something that's natural for me. I was born without shoes. I am going to die without shoes," she said, in an Interview Magazine article.

For Evora, this habit began in her native town of Cape Verde - of an archipelago off the coast of Africa - where she always went barefoot. It was in this town that Evora was discovered at the somewhat late age of 47.

The music that made her famous is "morna," affectionately known as "the Cape Verde blues." Morna, stemming from European, African and Arabic roots, is a minor-key style of music that incorporates West African percussion, Portuguese fados, Brazilian modhinas (samba) and British sea chanteys. Sung in Cape Verdean Creole, morna deals with issues of loneliness, hardship, heartbreak and work.

"With morna, we try to explain everything about our country and our problems - our day-to-day life - and we talk about love too," Evora told Interview Magazine.

Though Evora is often compared to other singers, such as Edith Piaf and Billie Holiday, her performance style is incredibly unique. Whenever she performs, she keeps a small table onstage where she sits down to smoke and to rest while her band keeps the energy alive.

Janise Jerrett, a Tucson doctor of ethnomusicology, will host an Arts Encounter 45 minutes prior to Evora's performance in the lobby of the Arizona State Museum, directly across from Centennial Hall. Jerrett - who specializes in world music - will discuss the history of Cape Verde and its influences in Evora's music.

"Singers are carriers of culture; they represent so much," Jerrett said. "I want to alert people to the cultural context so it (the music) has more meaning."

Evora was born in 1941 in Mindelo, Cape Verde. As a young adult, she began to garner local interest as she sang in cafes and bars. She remained in Cape Verde, making a name for herself as the "queen of morna," while most of her siblings emigrated to other countries. In the '70s, she gave up singing altogether due to financial problems.

In the mid-'80s, she returned to her talent with the help of a man named Jose Da Silva, who remains her manager and producer today, and quickly became famous worldwide.

Evora released her first album in1988, La Diva Aux Pieds Nus (The Barefoot Diva), referring to her chosen performance style. Two more albums followed, but the 1992 release of Miss Perfumado made her a star.

Since then, Evora has released three more albums. Cafˇ Atlantico, a tribute to Evora's hometown, was nominated for a Grammy in 1999. Her most recent release, Sao Vicente, features special guests such as Bonnie Raitt, Caetano Veloso and Orquesta Aragon.

Evora has toured the United States several times and has won the hearts of many fans, including Natalie Merchant and Madonna.

"Today I can't count the concerts I do in a year," Evora told Pulse! Magazine. "But I always stay true to the roots of my music."