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.
Mas Um Sonho
Cesária Évora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mas um carnaval, mas um fantasia
Mas um sonho di crianca n'asfalte
Bricalhoes do Mindelo na folia
Mas um óne, mas um bricadera
Mas um carnaval, mas um fantasia
Mas um sonho di crianca n'asfalte
Sao Vicente bem abri bôs bróce
Bem brincá li ma bôs m'ine
Ca tem nada hoje ê carnaval
Dia d'festa e armonia
Intchi bôs rua de magia
Vida cor e fantasia
Carnaval ê um festa sem rival
Q'tude loucura ê natural
Aiê aiê, chili bem salta
Aiê aiê, mas um sonho colorido
Aiê aiê, tchi li bem brinca
Aiê aiê, tudo loucura ê natural
Aiê aiê, chili bem salta
Aiê aiê, mas um sonho colorido
Aiê aiê, tchi li bem brinca
Aiê aiê, tudo loucura ê natural
...
Mas um óne, mas um bricadera
Mas um carnaval, mas um fantasia
Mas um sonho di crianca n'asfalte
Bricalhoes do Mindelo na folia
Mas um óne, mas um bricadera
Mas um carnaval, mas um fantasia
Mas um sonho di crianca n'asfalte
Bricalhoes do Mindelo na folia
Sao Vicente bem abri bôs bróce
Bem brincá li ma bôs m'ine
Ca tem nada hoje ê carnaval
Dia d'festa e armonia
Intchi bôs rua de magia
Vida cor e fantasia
Carnaval ê um festa sem rival
Q'tude loucura ê natural
Aiê aiê, chili bem salta
Aiê aiê, mas um sonho colorido
Aiê aiê, tchi li bem brinca
Aiê aiê, tudo loucura ê natural
Aiê aiê, chili bem salta
Aiê aiê, mas um sonho colorido
Aiê aiê, tchi li bem brinca
Aiê aiê, tudo loucura ê natural
The song "Mas Um Sonho" by Cesária Évora is a celebration of the carnival in San Vicente, Cape Verde. The lyrics speak of the excitement and joy of the carnival, emphasizing the idea that it is a time for letting loose and embracing the natural madness that comes with it. The chorus captures this sentiment, as it repeats the phrase "Aiê aiê" which is a traditional Cape Verdean call and response chant that is sung during carnival.
The verses of the song speak about the various elements of the carnival, such as the costumes, music, and dancing. The line "Mas um sonho di crianca n'asfalte" (But a child's dream on the pavement) suggests that the carnival is a time for adults to return to the innocence and joy of childhood, as they dance and play in the streets. The song also highlights the importance of community, as the "bricalhoes do Mindelo" (revelers from Mindelo) come together to celebrate the carnival.
Line by Line Meaning
Mas um óne, mas um bricadera
Another day, another game
Mas um carnaval, mas um fantasia
Another carnival, another fantasy
Mas um sonho di crianca n'asfalte
But a dream of childhood on the pavement
Bricalhoes do Mindelo na folia
The pranksters of Mindelo at the party
Sao Vicente bem abri bôs bróce
São Vicente welcomes you
Bem brincá li ma bôs m'ine
Come play with your friends here
Ca tem nada hoje ê carnaval
Today is carnival, there's nothing else
Dia d'festa e armonia
Day of celebration and harmony
Intchi bôs rua de magia
Your streets are full of magic
Vida cor e fantasia
Life, color, and fantasy
Carnaval ê um festa sem rival
Carnival is a party like no other
Q'tude loucura ê natural
All this craziness is natural
Aiê aiê, chili bem salta
Aiê aiê, I jump with joy
Aiê aiê, mas um sonho colorido
Aiê aiê, another colorful dream
Aiê aiê, tchi li bem brinca
Aiê aiê, come play here
Aiê aiê, tudo loucura ê natural
Aiê aiê, all this craziness is natural
Contributed by Samuel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Armegaz2
Amazing Cesaria!
Geneviève yanne Grah
Je ne me lasse jamais de t'écouter Cesaria.
Mor Wein
LA PIU' GRANDE CANTANTE CHE ESISTEVA MAI........!!!!!!!!
fred BOUDINEAU
i 'love