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.
Mae velha
Cesária Évora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
BO cria nôs desse manera
Kbô saia prete kbô lincim
Bô mostrá nôs oké ke nôs
Oh mãe oh mãe Oh mãe oh mãe
Oh mãe velha oih
Mãe velha oih mãe velha
Pa legrope bô coraçao
Mãe velha mostra nõs
Munde é fete pa vive
Tambem ele é fete pa morré
Pa ama e sofre
Munde é fete pa vivé
Munde é fete pa morre
Munde é fete pa ama
Tambem pa sofre
The lyrics of Cesaria Evora's song "Mae Velha" seem to pay tribute to the wisdom and guidance of an elderly mother figure. The first stanza speaks of the importance of following her example and walking in her footsteps, while also acknowledging the struggles and hardships that come with life. The repetition of "Oh mãe" adds to the sense of reverence and respect for this maternal figure, who is described as "velha" (old) but still capable of sharing valuable knowledge.
The second stanza continues the theme of finding meaning and purpose in life, despite its inevitable ups and downs. The lines "Mãe velha mostra nõs / Munde é fete pa vive / Tambem ele é fete pa morré / Pa ama e sofre" express the idea that life is both beautiful and difficult, and that we need our elders to guide us through it all. The repetition of "Munde é fete pa" further emphasizes this point, as if to say that everything we experience in life is simply part of the journey, and that we must embrace it all.
Overall, "Mae Velha" is a beautiful tribute to the wisdom and guidance of a mother figure, and a reminder that life is both beautiful and challenging. Cesaria Evora's voice and the gentle rhythm of the music add to the sense of comfort and peace that emanates from the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Dibaxo-di bo foguera
Under your fire
BO cria nôs desse manera
You raised us this way
Kbô saia prete kbô lincim
Whether you wear black or white
Bô mostrá nôs oké ke nôs
You showed us who we are
Oh mãe oh mãe Oh mãe oh mãe
Oh mother, oh mother
Oh mãe velha oih
Oh old mother
Mãe velha oih mãe velha
Old mother, oh old mother
Tcham cantope esse cançao
Let's sing this song
Pa legrope bô coraçao
To lighten your heart
Mãe velha mostra nõs
Old mother, show us
Munde é fete pa vive
That life is for living
Tambem ele é fete pa morré
Though it is also for dying
Pa ama e sofre
For loving and for suffering
Munde é fete pa vivé
That life is for living
Munde é fete pa morre
That life is for dying
Munde é fete pa ama
That life is for loving
Tambem pa sofre
Though it is also for suffering
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DA CRUZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Raul Jimenez-Duran
Excelente. Cesaria Cada dia canta mejor!!
Сезария Эвора
Я была на ее концертах. Наилучшее воспоминание всей моей жизни. Ее любви хватает на всех! Она неповторимая...
Данил Чернов
Согласен. Да. Я люблю её...
Rvsotto
Inolvidable