Born on the 27th August 1941 in the port town of Mindelo, Cape Verde, on the island of São Vicente. Long known as the queen of the morna, a soulful genre (related to the Portuguese fado) sung in Creole-Portuguese, she mixed her sentimental folk tunes filled with longing and sadness with the acoustic sounds of guitar, cavaquinho, violin, accordion, and clarinet. Évora's Cape Verdean blues often spoke of the country's history of isolation and slave trade, as well as emigration; almost two-thirds of the million Cape Verdeans alive live abroad.
Évora's voice, a finely-tuned, melancholy instrument with a touch of hoarseness, highlighted her emotional phrasing by accenting a word or phrase. Even audiences who do not understand her language could be held spell-bound by the emotions evident in her performances.
In 2004 she won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album.
A heavy smoker for decades, Évora was diagnosed with heart problems in 2005. She suffered strokes in 2008 and in September 2011, when she announced she was retiring. She died at the age of seventy in São Vicente, Cape Verde on the 17th December 2011 from respiratory failure and hypertension. A Spanish newspaper reported that forty-eight hours before her death she was still receiving people in her home in Mindelo, popular for always having its doors open.
Cinturão Tem Mele
Cesária Évora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Um tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
Tava influida ta dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
Oh Mama êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh moço ca bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Oh Mama êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh moço ca bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Oh mnininha tchà bô dsparate
Jà bô sabia
Qu'ma nha cinturao tem mele
Oh mnininha tchà bô dsparate
Jà bô sabia
Qu'ma nha cinturao tem mele
Tava influida ta dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
Tava influida ta dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
Oh Mama êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh moço ca bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Oh Mama êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh moço ca bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Tava influida ta dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
Tava influida ta dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
The lyrics of Cesária Évora's song "Cinturão Tem Mele" depict the singer dancing to a tcha tcha tcha rhythm, feeling the sway of the music in her body, and urging her dance partner to pay her well for the pleasure of dancing with her. The song's melody is light-hearted and danceable, but the lyrics reveal underlying tension and societal norms that women were expected to follow. The refrain of the song, "Oh Mama êss cosa é um vergonha, Oh moço ca bô dam, Qu'bô cinturon" can be translated to mean "Oh Mama, this is a shame, young man, you can't give me your belt," indicating that the singer is frustrated with her dance partner's lack of generosity.
The lyrics also reference the singer's "cinturão," or belt, which "tem mele," or "has honey." This line suggests that the singer is confident in her skills and attractiveness, and that her belt symbolizes her sensual appeal. The chorus of the song repeats several times, indicating the singer's determination to enjoy herself and assert her worth.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cinturão Tem Mele" provide a snapshot of traditional gender roles and power dynamics in Cape Verdean society, but also celebrate the joy and sensuality of dance and music.
Line by Line Meaning
Tava influida ta dansa
I was influenced to dance
Um tcha tcha tcha
To the beat of tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
I dance and lose myself
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
For my body to feel good
Oh Mama êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh Mama, this thing is embarrassing
Oh moço ca bô dam
Oh boy, you can't stand
Qu'bô cinturon
With your belt
Oh mnininha tchà bô dsparate
Oh little girl, watch yourself
Jà bô sabia
You already knew
Qu'ma nha cinturao tem mele
That my belt has honey
Tava influida ta dansa
I was influenced to dance
Um tcha tcha tcha
To the beat of tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
I dance and lose myself
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
For my body to feel good
Oh Mama êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh Mama, this thing is embarrassing
Oh moço ca bô dam
Oh boy, you can't stand
Qu'bô cinturon
With your belt
Tava influida ta dansa
I was influenced to dance
Um tcha tcha tcha
To the beat of tcha tcha tcha
Ta dansa ta inguiça-l
I dance and lose myself
Pa nha curpim bêm paga
For my body to feel good
Contributed by Madelyn C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gertexmobilerussia
Tava influida tá dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Tá dansa tá inguiça-l
Pá nha curpim bêm paga
Tava influida tá dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Tá dansa tá inguiça-l
Pá nha curpim bêm paga
Oh, Mama, êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh, moço, cá bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Oh, Mama, êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh, moço, cá bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Oh, mnininha, tchà bô dsparate
Jà bô sabia
Qu'ma nha cinturão tem mele
Oh, mnininha, tchà bô dsparate
Jà bô sabia
Qu'ma nha cinturão tem mele
Tava influida tá dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Tá dansa tá inguiça-l
Pá nha curpim bêm paga
Tava influida tá dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Tá dansa tá inguiça-l
Pá nha curpim bêm paga
Oh, Mama, êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh, moço, cá bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Oh, Mama, êss cosa é um vergonha
Oh, moço, cá bô dam
Qu'bô cinturon
Tava influida tá dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Tá dansa tá inguiça-l
Pá nha curpim bêm paga
Tava influida tá dansa
Um tcha tcha tcha
Tá dansa tá inguiça-l
Pá nha curpim bêm paga
@aleRG94
Mi è rimasta nel cuore! 💖
@gertexmobilerussia
Elegante, obrigado por música. Gosto dela, ela canta muito bem. Amo suas canções em que o ani bonito. É uma pena que ela morreu. É ô fato de ela ainda estar também cantou lindamente. "Uma bela canção»
@gertexmobilerussia
Elegante!
@augustonascimento4547
Salvador -BA Brasil !!!!
@user-oz9rc5wl5m
Escrevame ❤
@user-oz9rc5wl5m
Deixa seu WhatsApp pra contactarmos
@adelinagruia5356
O iubesc pe CEZARIA EVORA este un un talent deosebit faray egal!
@hildamartin7539
Magnifica sos unica te quiero mucho cantas cada dia mejor.
@poncianojesusavilamedina8746
Canto en tiempo pasado Cesarea fallecio
@johnmausi5101
Such touching tender music