Thursday, November 6, 1997
Diva communicates through song
MUSIC: Fans don’t get a word Evora sings but feel her emotional
depth
By Sam Toussi
Daily Bruin Contributor
Among other things, Cesaria Evora is known for her feet.
Evora, who will be performing at the Veterans Wadsworth Theater
on Saturday, is well known for performing without shoes. In fact,
one of her albums was titled "La Diva aux Pieds Nus" (The Barefoot
Diva).
"Being barefoot is more natural to me. To many, it may seem odd
because they always wear shoes, but in my country (Cape Verde,
Senegal) I am always barefoot," Evora says.
Bare feet may have little to do with Evora’s singing, but they
have a great deal to do with the natural quality of her music.
Critics have lauded her ever since Jose da Silva, a Verdean
expatriate living in Paris, convinced her that she could be
successful abroad.
Publications such as Downbeat magazine and The New York Times
have described her voice as "dusky and gentile" and her music as a
"bittersweet intelligence and vividness" that is "brimming with
melancholy nostalgia" and have even compared her to the great
Billie Holliday. Some of the United States’ leading musicians have
fallen in love with Evora’s vocals, including Madonna and Natalie
Merchant
Critics all sing her praises despite the fact that they,
literally, have no idea what Evora is saying.
Evora speaks a language known as Verdean, a Creole language or
dialect which is Portuguese, but not quite, and astonishingly
reminiscent of French and Spanish. It is the native tongue of the
people of the islands of Cape Verde.
Few people outside of Cape Verde speak Verdean, but that hasn’t
stopped Evora from acquiring a huge following around the world.
Evora gets her message across through the emotional depth of her
vocals.
"Music is a universal language. When the performer is good and
the rhythm is good, then anybody can relate to it," Evora says.
"Although my songs are aimed at a Verdean audience, I think
everyone can connect with them.
"From the time I was young and singing in the bars, the sailors
would love my music, even if they could not understand them. I have
seen people cry over my mornas (traditional Verdean song), even if
they spoke a different language. I sang in Japan recently. There
are no Verdeans in Japan, but they still connected to my
songs."
Like most international artists, Evora is performing for more
than one audience. Her music reflects that with its deep emotional
rhythms and simultaneous loyalty to its roots.
Performing without shoes helps her remember her country while
onstage. She also remembers the hardships of the country she is
from when singing songs of pain.
"There is a great deal of poverty in the Cape Verde Islands, and
when I am singing, it almost feels like I am singing with them,"
Evora says.
"I am trying to do everything I can for my people. But there is
always somebody else who is coming up. I know I won’t be singing
forever. I just want to open up the way for someone else."
This has led many of her fans, as well as her president and
government, to label her as an ambassador, an honor that Evora is
very proud of.
"I feel that I am making Verde known to everyone," Evora
says.
Such nationalism has helped Evora bring her country into her
music and add depth to what she is singing .
And even if very few understand her words, it is impossible to
miss her thoughts and feelings.
MUSIC: Cesaria Evora will be performing at the Veterans
Wadsworth Theater on Saturday. Tickets are $30, $27 and $13 for
UCLA students with valid ID. For more information, call (310)
825-2101.UCLA Center for the Performing Arts
Cesaria Evora will perform Saturday at the Veterans Wadsworth
Theater.