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.
Ess pais
Cesária Évora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bem conchê sabura di nôs terra
Bem conchê ess paraiso di cretcheu
Qui nôs poeta cantá co amôr
Na sês verso imortal criôl
Quem ca conchê Mindelo
Ca conchê Cabo-Verde
Dêss povo franco sem igual
Li nô ca tem riqueza
Nô ca tem ôro nô ca tem diamante
Ma nô tem ess paz di Deus
Qui na mundo ca tem
E êss clima sabe qui Deus dóne
Bem conchê êss pais
The lyrics to Cesaria Evora's song "Ess Pais" showcase a deep love and pride for Mindelo, a small town in Cape Verde, and the country as a whole. The opening line "Bem conchê ess Mindelo pequinino" roughly translates to "Welcome to this little Mindelo" and immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song as an ode to the simplicity and beauty of Cape Verdean life. The following lines "Bem conchê sabura di nôs terra" and "Bem conchê ess paraiso di cretcheu" refer to the natural resources and stunning landscapes of the island nation, with the latter highlighting the poetic tradition of Cape Verdean culture.
The final lines of the first verse "Quem ca conchê Mindelo, ca conchê Cabo-Verde" mean "Who doesn't know Mindelo, doesn't know Cape Verde" and emphasize the importance of this small town as a representation of the entire country. The second verse delves deeper into the values and way of life of the Cape Verdean people, praising their hospitality and lack of material wealth. The sentiment of "nô ca tem ôro nô ca tem diamante" which means "we have no gold or diamonds" is contrasted with the idea that "nô tem ess paz di Deus," or "we have the peace of God," highlighting the humble and spiritual nature of Cape Verdean culture.
Overall, "Ess Pais" is a song that celebrates the simplicity, natural beauty, and spiritual richness of Cape Verdean life, while also acknowledging the importance of tradition, history, and community.
Line by Line Meaning
Bem conchê ess Mindelo pequinino
Welcome to this small Mindelo town
Bem conchê sabura di nôs terra
Welcome to the flavors of our land
Bem conchê ess paraiso di cretcheu
Welcome to this paradise of lovers
Qui nôs poeta cantá co amôr
Where our poets sing with love
Na sês verso imortal criôl
In their immortal Creole verses
Quem ca conchê Mindelo
Whoever doesn't know Mindelo
Ca conchê Cabo-Verde
Doesn't know Cape Verde
Bem disfrutá morabeza
Enjoy the hospitality
Dêss povo franco sem igual
Of this unique and candid people
Li nô ca tem riqueza
Here we don't have riches
Nô ca tem ôro nô ca tem diamante
We don't have gold or diamonds
Ma nô tem ess paz di Deus
But we have the peace of God
Qui na mundo ca tem
That is not found anywhere else in the world
E êss clima sabe qui Deus dóne
And this climate knows that God has gifted it
Bem conchê êss pais
Welcome to this country
Contributed by Luke T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Amarilis Suarez
Qué voz tan hermosa tenía la Sra. Evora, era excepcional su voz y no hay comparación, una voz dulce..., aterciopelada....
Rébecca Sezan
Sodade di nha Terra 😢🙏🏽
BIGGER BENJI
sweet
BIGGER BENJI
bbc article brought me here. Beautiful African treasure
Тетяна Вовк
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