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.
Nho Antone Escaderode
Cesária Évora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Qu'm ba na Rebera Grande
'M passa sabe
Fui dente dum reservado.
Oh nho Antone Escaderode
Escaderode, Escaderode
Oh nho Antone Escaderode
Nos era tres
Que t'ma um estamperode
Quande no sai
No ta que palpite descomandode.
Oh nho Antone Escaderode
Escaderode, Escaderode
Oh nho Antone Escaderode
Escaderode, Escaderode.
The song "Nho Antone Escaderode" by Cesária Évora tells the story of the singer's first experience going to Rebera Grande, a location in Cape Verde, and how she was sheltered and naive at the time. The lyrics describe how the singer and two others (presumably friends) went to Rebera Grande and stumbled upon a secretive, exclusive place where they didn't quite fit in. The chorus repeats the name "Nho Antone Escaderode" multiple times, which suggests that he may have been the one who introduced them to this place, or perhaps someone they encountered while there.
The lyrics paint a picture of youthful curiosity, ignorance, and perhaps even recklessness. The use of the word "estamperode" (meaning "uproar" or "disturbance") implies that they were up to no good and causing a bit of mischief. However, since they were inexperienced and didn't quite know what they were doing, they were easily overwhelmed by the situation and didn't know how to act. The repetition of "oh nho Antone Escaderode" in the chorus almost sounds like a plea for guidance or protection from this mysterious figure.
Overall, "Nho Antone Escaderode" is a song that captures the feeling of being young and inexperienced, exploring new places, and feeling a mix of excitement and fear. Cesária Évora's beautiful voice and the gentle, swaying rhythm of the music add to the dream-like quality of the song and make it a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Primera vez
The first time
Qu'm ba na Rebera Grande
That I went to Rebera Grande
'M passa sabe
I passed by, you know
Fui dente dum reservado.
I was inside a reserved area.
Oh nho Antone Escaderode
Oh Mr. Antone Escaderode
Escaderode, Escaderode
Escaderode, Escaderode
Nos era tres
We were three
Que t'ma um estamperode
Taking a walk we met a drunkard
Quande no sai
When he wouldn't leave
No ta que palpite descomandode.
We became nervous and uneasy.
Oh nho Antone Escaderode
Oh Mr. Antone Escaderode
Escaderode, Escaderode
Escaderode, Escaderode
Contributed by Violet J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Kevin-Muteg1
🇰🇪 An amazing daughter of Africa, with superb voice and talent. I don't know the language, however her music goes beyond the borders. Continue resting in eternal power Cesaria Evora
@robinelksnat9234
I'm between joy and tears all the time. She creates something for me that no other singer can do, she penetrates my soul and touches it with love. That's so awesome. Like an angel. As many write in the comments. She has something divine. May she rest in God's arms. And touch many hearts with her voice ❤️🙏🏼
@danielameixamontero5429
You are Amazing,Wonderful.Thank you ! And CESARIA is DIVINE ! EVIVA CESARIA ! She is as AMALIA RODRIGUES DE PORTUGAL.CESARIA EVORA loved very much the music of the QUEEN DO FADO ! And me too ! ❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹🇦🇩
@reginakato7374
Cesaria has an aura that touches people whenever she sings❤her voice is contagious!
@mthunzingadlela7672
Love you Cesaria Evora.... love from South AFrica
@mercedesclassenunez1466
Su voz y su musica nos dejaron un lindo recuerdo y hermisos ,la amamo por sirmpre
@mariafernandez6309
Oh my Cesaria.!!! The bigest and the maxim Diva of Cabo Verde ...I love you for ever.!!! Thanks for leving the excellence in music... !!!
@renatopiazza6792
Cesaria, sei l'ottava meraviglia del mondo!!💓💓
@reginakato7374
Si, verdad! Que belle description!
@tatiana57ful
Завораживает голос Сезарии, ритм и просто энергетика всего коллектива! Хоть ни слова не понять, а так хорошо!!!