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.
Serpentina
Cesária Évora Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La ta c'um fnhanga muito sabim
La tem uns mninin de saia curt
Ta fazê parte na coladera
No ba goza nos mocidade
Na mirador de Bela Vista
No tma um matim
Pa no tem lata
D'conquista qess criola
Danças pertod
E falas n'uvide
Tma cuidod
Es é uns serpentina
Cabel frisod
Dess fitirinha
O moço no bai dstrai nos spirto
M'uvi dzê la ta sabim na dvera
Qêss mninin ta exibi
Sem vaidade sem brincader
No ba goza agora q'no podê
Tud ta caba quond no t'morrê
The lyrics of Cesaria Evora's song Serpentina talk about a young man who goes to see Teresinha and finds himself in a place where there are many girls wearing short skirts and dancing the coladera, a traditional dance from Cape Verde. The young man finds inspiration in this atmosphere and wants to conquer one of the Creole girls with curly hair who is dressed in a fitted dress. However, he is cautious because he knows he needs to take care in his approach. The song talks about the carefree ambiance of Bela Vista, where young people gather to have fun, dance and talk.
The lyrics illustrate the lively and vibrant nature of Cape Verdean culture, where music and dance plays a significant role in the traditions of the people. The song is about the youthful desire to be carefree and enjoy life, even in the face of difficulties. The young man represented in the lyrics is searching for inspiration and meaningful experiences amidst the lively rhythms and vibrant colors of the culture.
Line by Line Meaning
O moço na bai pa Teresinha
A young man heads to Teresinha
La ta c'um fnhanga muito sabim
He carries a lot of wisdom
La tem uns mninin de saia curt
There are young girls there in short skirts
Ta fazê parte na coladera
They are dancing to the coladeira
No ba goza nos mocidade
They are enjoying their youth
Na mirador de Bela Vista
At the lookout of Bela Vista
No tma um matim
There's a sense of urgency
Pa no podê inspira
To inspire
Pa no tem lata
To not be ashamed
D'conquista qess criola
To conquer the girl
Danças pertod
Dancing close
E falas n'uvide
Speaking softly
Tma cuidod
Being careful
Es é uns serpentina
This is a serpent
Cabel frisod
Curly hair
Dess fitirinha
Of this little girl
O moço no bai dstrai nos spirto
The young man goes to lift his spirits
M'uvi dzê la ta sabim na dvera
He hears that she knows the truth
Qêss mninin ta exibi
That little girl shows off
Sem vaidade sem brincader
Without vanity or playfulness
No ba goza agora q'no podê
They're enjoying themselves while they can
Tud ta caba quond no t'morrê
It all ends when we die
Contributed by Natalie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@IlonaMalickaJanek
O moço na bai pa Teresinha
La ta c'um fnhanga muito sabim
La tem uns mninin de saia curt
Ta fazê parte na coladera
No ba goza nos mocidade
Na mirador de Bela Vista
No tma um matim
Pa no podê inspira
Pa no tem lata
D'conquista qess criola
Danças pertod
E falas n'uvide
Tma cuidod
Es é uns serpentina
Cabel frisod
Dess fitirinha
O moço no bai dstrai nos spirto
M'uvi dzê la ta sabim na dvera
Qêss mninin ta exibi
Sem vaidade sem brincader
No ba goza agora q'no podê
Tud ta caba quond no t'morrê
@Olqa1955
Незабвенная Сезария...Такой больше нет...Поющая душа Африки...
@reginakato7374
Agree!❤
@reginakato7374
❤😢
@user-xp1sn8ho4k
Красота!!!!!! Босоногая Дива!!!!!!
@arturoheredia7251
Maravilla de la canción
@robsildossnt3948
rainha cabo verde rip cesaria godbless her soul
@otrutniy--otruiniy
ДЯКУЮ!!!!
@sibusisoselbynzimandemphep4161
wow.she was amazing her music literally takes me to places I have never been and will never be
@reginakato7374
❤❤❤
@reginakato7374
It’s like being in heaven! ❤