Cesaria Evora, the barefoot singer**
By Ana Sofia Fonseca
Portuguese film, 1 hour and 34 minutes long
A black, poor, limp, and orphaned woman, Cesaria Evora could have grown up under better care. However, her incomparable voice has taken her to the most prestigious places in the world. A gift from heaven, according to the Cape Verdean singer (1941-2011). Her story allows us to understand how fascinated she was with her time and the enormous legacy she left for music.
The legend, the real legend, is discovered in Anna Sofia Fonseca’s thriller. Meticulous archival work on the history of Cape Verde, which gained independence when the singer took off, collects excerpts from concerts and testimonies of relatives, including Biroc, her butler or his granddaughter Jeanette. Important biographical facts reveal the artist’s generosity and feminist strength. They document the rise of the Third World’s number one singer, the equivalent of South Africa’s Miriam Makeba.
the song Soda Actually a star at 51
“Sissy”, As those close to her called her, she is a huge fan of Billie Holiday, defends her freedom since childhood, sings everywhere, and releases her first record in France, the home of world music. Cesaria Evora will be the Queen of Morna and the nostalgic and sweet music from Cape Verde which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019. She only became a big star at the age of 51 with the song Soda In 1992.
The film becomes captivating when it reveals the secret humanity of a woman, who masks her torments with her art and mischievous generosity. Trapped at home in the darkest depression of eleven years, Cesaria Evora makes you feel everything with her melodious, heartbreaking voice. A soul passes through his song. Brazilian musician Ceu Jorge, who opened the icon, finds the most accurate words: “CesariaHe didn’t just sing the words. His way of explaining made us understand the importance of every word, in every story. It revealed something in music that no one had heard before. »
