Cape Verdean –Cape Verde is a string of islands off the coastline of West Africa and a former Portuguese colony– songstress, Cesaria Evora passed away last Dec 18, 2011.
Since most of her songs were rendered in Portuguese, I thought – when I first heard her music -that she was Brasilian. My mistake only proved, once more, the universality of music as a medium.
Most of my late afternoon to early evening music listening hours were punctuated by her songs which seem to always have a sense of longing for something we can’t have in this materialistic world we, unfortunately, live in.
At least, for me, she was the female counterpart of Milton Nascimento.
My deep respect goes to all world music persona who always seem to find a way to soothe away the pains and worries of plain mortals like us…of the difficulties of living in this world.
One of my favorite songs is “Crepuscular Solidao” which is literally translated in English as ” solitude in twilight”.
And the last few lines of the track goes something like….
“There are people, too many people
Who suffer from loneliness
There are people, too many people
Who are almost dying, by the fading twilight
By the fading twilight, by the fading twilight”
Rest now, our dearest barefoot diva…Cesaria Evora.