Cesaria Evora, a singer from Cape Verde, passed away on December 17, at the age of 70. She ascended to international stardom in the late 1980s, when she became the toast of Paris. She was called the barefoot diva (la diva aux pieds nus) because she always performed barefoot, in solidarity with poor people everywhere. I remember the first of her songs I had ever heard was this one:
She sings in her native Portuguese until the end of the song, when she switches to French:
Petit pays,
Je t'aime beaucoup,
Petit, petit,
Je l'aime beaucoup.
She declares her deep love for her native land, the tiny islands of Cape Verde, west of Africa. She traveled the world entertaining audiences on all continents, but she always came home again, and so much of her music was about her homeland.
Make the jump to hear and learn more.
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I also need to acknowledge that aaraujo wrote a diary about Cesaria Evora's passing on the day she passed.
Cesaria Evora was born into a poor family in the small city of Mindelo, on the island of Sao Vicente, in Cape Verde, a former Portuguese colony. She was born to a poor family; when she was 7 years old, her father died, and before long, her mother, with 6 other children to care for, gave Cesaria up to an orphanage. When she was 16, a friend persuaded her to sing in a bar where she was paid in drinks, and from that time forward, she sang and partied pretty seriously.
She sings the style of music called "morna," this strange combination of generally upbeat tempo and mournful, minor-tinged music. It's clearly in the spectrum of Afro-Latin music, though it is distinct from all other subgenres I'm familiar with. Morna is itself. It doesn't matter if you don't understand Portuguese--you were able to get her music at a level that didn't involve words.
For his birthday in 1996, I treated my partner to a live concert by Cesaria at the John Anson Ford Theater in Los Angeles (where we were living at the time). It was a hoot! See what I mean:
As in this clip, she had a little table where she sat when she got fatigued, or when she wanted a cigarette. (She had to give up drinking in the '90s, but she never gave up smoking.) It was all so casual. But the band was incredibly tight!
In 2009, she had a heart attack that ended her career, and she went back to Sao Vicente for the duration, to the house she rebuilt on the property where her parents' house stood many years ago. Friends and family were always welcome to visit her.
Her passing came within days of other significant deaths: Vaclav Havel, Christopher Hitchens and, that monster, Kim Jong-il. I did not want her passing to be lost in the shuffle.
May she rest in peace.
Now, on to the comments!
From belinda ridgewood:
In Jen Sorensen's Slowpoke cartoon diary, Crashing Vor provokes a torrent of faux-gadget DIY one-upsmanship, for not just a Top Comment but an entire Top Thread.
From Clem Yeobright:
In Something The Dog Said's recommended diary Republicans in Disarray, Comeuppance a long time Coming, in response to the diarist's question 'What is it Julius Ceasar said about Cassius?', jhecht makes an insightful observation.
From brillig:
If adhering to your chosen career's rules and ethical requirements isn't your idea of appropriate, newmexicobear has a career path for you.
From lineatus:
detroitmechworks had a very good diary about religious discrimination, but his best line was in the comments.
From your humble diarist:
In Scott Wooledge's front page post 11th Circuit rules fundie's religious bigotry doesn't trump science and education, MBNYC sends a special message to the loser of a lawsuit based on anti-LGBT bigotry.
In the same post, Rich in PA comments on the real objective of these lawsuits.
In dear occupant's first ever diary (recommended) Humpty Dumpty Takes a Great Fall. Karma's a Bitch, Eh Newt?, illinifan17 pokes at Gingrich regarding why it's inaccurate to call him a professor.
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