Cesaria Evora Tickets Continued
Cesaria Evora's father died when she was seven. Her mother struggled to
support her on her meager earnings as a cook and eventually put her in the care of an
orphanage. It was in the orphanage choir that she first learnt to sing.
After learning how to sing morna style when she was a teenage, Cesaria Evora
began singing in local bars and hotels. With the help of local musicians, she would hone her
skills and would later be proclaimed "Queen of Mornas" by her fans. She became famous in
the Cape Verde but remained relatively unknown internationally.
In the 1970s, Cape Verde gained independence and its new leader Amilcar Cabral
would soon afterwards be assassinated. Cesaria Evora was still popular at the time
but her fame did not lead to financial success. Frustrated by personal and financial
problems, componded by the political turmoil in the Cape Verde, she gave up singing to
support her family. She didn't perform for 10 years which she describes as her "dark years".
Cesaria Evora resumed performing after being encouraged by a Cape Verdian
exile and patron of the arts, Bana, who lived in Portugal. He secured invitations to Portugal
where she performed a series of concerts sponsored by a local women's organization. A
Frenchman of Cape Verdian descent named Jose Da Silva persuaded her to go to Paris
where she recorded a new album, La diva aux pieds nus (The Barefoot Diva) in 1988.
This album won critical acclaim and began for her a dramatic comeback. Cesaria
Evora became an international star at the age of 47.
