Cesaria Evora sings in Portuguese Creole. She has pursued her career with France as her advance base, since her producer, José Da Silva, lives there, but she is also profoundly African. So Rogamar uses music by Ray Lema to offer a reminder of the colonial history of Africa: São Tomé Na Equador, another island under Portuguese control, a bastion of forced labor, as previously described in Sodade. It’s not so far from Avenida Marginal, the road running along the shore of Mindelo Bay, to Senegal. Ismaël Lô, the voice of Senegalese folk, made that trip for a Pan-African anthem, Africa Nossa - our Africa, “cradle of the world, fertile continent”. Madagascar’s Régis Gizavo also came along with his accordion…

Cesaria Evora is an equation with several unknowns. Since secrets remain a mystery, she has sold nearly five million albums worldwide, although the future once predicted for her was an ephemeral season in the sun. Since 1988, the year of La Diva aux Pieds Nus (The Barefoot Diva) and her appearance in the Western market, Cesaria Evora has established herself as one of the true icons in world music.

In-stock now. Usually ships within 24 hours.