Cesaria Evora

Rogamar (Lusafrica, 2006)

Cape Verde's Grammy award winning songstress Cesaria Evora has returned with her tenth CD Rogamar, (translated as "pray to the sea") and none too soon. The 65 year-old Evora, backed by elegant compositions and a team of Cape Verde songwriters, captures her audience from her very first note. The music is her familiar mix of Cape Verde soul, Afro-Cuban fluidity, the vivacity of the samba and street café sadness. Fans having worn out their copies of Voz D'Amor are sure to wallow in the sultry mix of music and Evora's delicious vocals.

Opening track "Sombras Di Distino" is almost torture because you're just holding your breath waiting for Evora's first note and she doesn't disappoint. The gentle sliding melancholic vocals of ballads like "São Tomé Na Equador" and "Amor Mar" coupled with the bright fluid joy of "Avenida Marginal" and "Africa Mossa" make this CD a treasure.

Piano, guitar, cavaquinho, saxophones, percussion and violin fill out the compositions, but it is Evora's voice and soul that comes across and embodies the desire, loss and longing of the lyrics. Sometimes wry with the lyrics, Evora has her own take on the direction of the song so listeners might want to take a peek at the liner notes before they start singing along.

Cesaria Evora breathes life into Rogamar with her passion, her rich love of the song and her enormous talent. The blazing quality of Evora's voice does more with a slight slide or a fluid sustained note than many of us could hope ever achieve in a lifetime and yet Cesaria keeps giving it to us one amazing CD after another.

[Buy Rogamar].