Jazz Articles

Titina: Cruel Destino

by Chris May
April 24, 2008

For twenty years, Cape Verdean music has been personified internationally by just one singer, the magnificent Cesaria Evora--the “barefoot diva," so-called following her decision always to perform shoeless, in solidarity with the impoverished Cape Verdeans who make up the bulk of her native audience. The 67-year old Evora's name is now practically synonymous with Cape Verde's bittersweet morna style, aka saudade Cabo-Verdiana (literally, “Cape Verdean nostalgic yearning").

At last, the curtain is rising on other stars-in-waiting. In 2007, ...