Cesaria Evora
Most prominent of morna singers is Cesária Évora (b. 1941), nicknamed the “bare- foot diva” for her preference for performing onstage without shoes. She began performing as a teenager and was encouraged by her uncle, B. Leza, a prolific composer of mornas and a well-known musician on the islands. Though she was a local celebrity in Cape Verde, her international career did not begin until 1988, after minor tours in Portugal and France. Her first recording, La Diva aux Pieds Nus (The Barefoot Diva; 1988), was recorded in Paris and became successful enough to encourage further recordings and increasing international celebrity. Although mornas are the staple of her repertoire, Évora performs other sentimental styles, such as samba-canção, jazz, and fado. Other Cape Verdean artists, such as Tito Paris (b. 1963), have benefited from Évora’s international recognition.