November 1–8, 2001

music picks|roots

Cesaria Evora

Known worldwide as the "Barefoot Diva" (as apt an epithet as exists), Cesaria Evora occupies a singular space in contemporary world music. She’s the undisputed queen of morna, a haunting amalgam of Portuguese, Brazilian, West African and Caribbean folksong styles native to Cape Verde. That island nation has been Evora’s home since birth, and it wasn’t until a trip to Europe (in her late 40s) that her talents became internationally known. Today, at 60, Evora wears stardom with such nonchalance that it’s difficult to imagine things were ever otherwise. Her expressive, cello-like alto — accompanied by acoustic guitars, cavaquinhos, and additional voices — is a sound one doesn’t soon forget.

—Nate Chinen

Sun., Nov. 4, 7 p.m., $27-$33, Irvine Auditorium, 3401 Spruce St., 215-898-3900.