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.
Partida
Cesária Évora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oi partida sô bô podia separano
Nha cretcheu lavantá pam bem braçob
Lavantá pam bem beijob
Pam cariciob esse bô face.
Sel ta sirvi pa leval
Ma l'ta sirvi pa transportal
Ê sofrimento d'nhamor pa bô
Oi partida bô leval bô ta torná trazel.
Oi madrugada imagem di nh'alma
Ma nha cretcheu intrega'm sês lagrimas
Pam ca sofrê nem tchorá
Esse sofrimento ca ê sô pa mim
Oi partida bô ê um dor profundo.
Nha cretcheu ja'm s'ta ta parti
Oi partida sô bô podia separano
Nha cretcheu lavantá pam bem braçob
Lavantá pam bem beijob
Pam cariciob esse bô face.
Sel ta sirvi pa leval
Ma l'ta sirvi pa transportal
Caminho longe, separação
Ê sofrimento d'nhamor pa bô
Oi partida bô leval bô ta torná trazel.
Oi madrugada imagem di nh'alma
Ma nha cretcheu intrega'm sês lagrimas
Pam ca sofrê nem tchorá
Esse sofrimento ca ê sô pa mim
Oi partida bô ê um dor profundo.
The lyrics to Cesária Évora's song "Partida" depict the pain of separation and the deep sorrow that comes with it. The singer's beloved is leaving and she knows that they will be separated for a long time. She lifts her arms to embrace him, to kiss him, and to caress his face before he departs.
The singer acknowledges that his departure serves a purpose, but it does not make the experience any easier. The separation, the long journey that lies ahead, and the knowledge that they will be apart for an unknown period of time are all sources of great sadness. She speaks of the profound pain that she feels, recognizing that it will be a difficult journey for both her and her beloved.
In the end, she surrenders to her sadness and cries for her love as he leaves. Despite the pain, she acknowledges that this is the reality of love and that it will be worth the wait to be reunited. The song is a poignant representation of the deep love and connection that can exist between two people, even in the face of overwhelming challenges and difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
Nha cretcheu ja'm s'ta ta parti
My love is already leaving
Oi partida sô bô podia separano
Oh, departure, only you could separate us
Nha cretcheu lavantá pam bem braçob
My love lifted me up in his arms
Lavantá pam bem beijob
Lifted me up for a sweet kiss
Pam cariciob esse bô face.
And caressed my face lovingly
Sel ta sirvi pa leval
Sail serves to take away
Ma l'ta sirvi pa transportal
But it also serves to bring back
Caminho longe, separação
Long journey, separation
Ê sofrimento d'nhamor pa bô
It's the pain of love for you
Oi partida bô leval bô ta torná trazel.
Oh, departure, taking you away but bringing you back
Oi madrugada imagem di nh'alma
Oh, image of my soul in the early hours
Ma nha cretcheu intrega'm sês lagrimas
But my love hands me his tears
Pam ca sofrê nem tchorá
So I don't suffer or cry
Esse sofrimento ca ê sô pa mim
This suffering is not just for me
Oi partida bô ê um dor profundo.
Oh, departure, you are a deep pain.
Contributed by Daniel B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Roxy Lee
Partida
Cesária Évora
Nha cretcheu. djâm s' tá ta parti
Oi partida sô bô podia sépara-no
Nha cretcheu Ievantá pàm bem braçabo
Levantá pa'm bem beja-bo
Pàm caricia-bo ess bô face
Nha cretcheu. djâm s' tá ta parti
Oi partida sô bô podia sépara-no
Nha cretcheu Ievantá pàm bem braçabo
Levantá pa'm bem beja-bo
Pàm caricia-bo ess bô face
S'el ta sirvi pa lavà'l
Màl ta sirvi pa transportà'l
Caminho longe, séparacao
Ess sofrimento nh'amor pa bô
Oi partida bô levà'l
Bô ta tornà trazè'l
S'el ta sirvi pa lavà'l
Màl ta sirvi pa transportà'l
Caminho longe, séparacao
Ess sofrimento nh'amor pa bô
Oi partida bô levà'l
Bô ta tornà trazè'l
Oi madrugada imagem di nh'alma
Manha cretcheu entrega-me sês lágrimas
Pâm ca sofrê nem tchorà
Ess sofrimento ca é sô pa mim
Oi partida bô é um dor profundo.
Oi madrugada imagem di nh'alma
Manha cretcheu entrega-me sês lágrimas
Pâm ca sofrê nem tchorà
Ess sofrimento ca é sô pa mim
Oi partida bô é um dor profundo.
S'el ta sirvi pa lavà'l
Màl ta sirvi pa transportà'l
Caminho longe, séparacao
Ess sofrimento nh'amor pa bô
Oi partida bô levà'l
Bô ta tornà trazè'l
S'el ta sirvi pa lavà'l
Màl ta sirvi pa transportà'l
Caminho longe, séparacao
Ess sofrimento nh'amor pa bô
Oi partida bô levà'l
Bô ta tornà trazè'l
Compositor: Ney Fernandes
Yarely Mariana Gómez
Saludos desde la patria mexicana, sin duda me transmite una melancolía inevitable Cesária Évora, gran artista!
Ольга Михайловна
Плачу внешним дождём, омывающим душу. Не знаю , о чем, но слезы льются от избытка чувств и такой красоты песни и голоса
Maru Heliete
Amo essa cantora Cesaria , pena que eu a descobri muito tarde , mas estou sempre à ouvir suas músicas .
luis eduardo reina bermudez
Hermosa voz, una gran mujer que interpreta el dolor del pueblo africano, con un sentimiento muy especial.
Guillermo Peña Cedeño
¡Qué maravilloso canto, qué bella interpretación y acompañamiento!
¡Qué Dios te salve y te tenga en su gloria, Cesária Évora!
Jennifer Nightingale
She spread so much joy all around the world.. joy and beautiful sadness too.
Amanda
Omg tho 😷
jacek bąk
Piękna piosenka i wspaniałe wykonanie. Dziękuję.
Maru Heliete
Não consigo ficar sem ouvir essa voz que para mim é inigualável, não entendo quase nada mas a sua voz é demais ,ela não muda en hora nenhuma de tom , coisa impossível de se fazer com a voz
Maru Heliete
Isso é saber cantar , não sei como ela faz pois sua voz não muda de tom em momento algum . Gostaria de tê-la encontrado a mais tempo