Sold out benefit concert with Cesaria Evora

Hence, it went without saying that Cesaria Evora accepted the request by SOS Children's Villages Luxembourg, the organiser of the concert, to dedicate her fascinating voice to a benefit concert in favour of the children from Mindelo. She generously renounced her salary in order to support a construction project in Mindelo.

In view of the growing number of street children in Mindelo on the Capeverdian island São Vicente, SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde asbl Luxembourg will finance the construction of an SOS Social Centre where these children are shown a way back to a decent life in society and where they are accompanied towards adult life. This centre is conceived in a similar way as is any day-care centre for children and adolescents. It encompasses four classrooms, one refectory, a library, bathrooms with sanitary facilities and one first aid room. The SOS Social Centre has been conceived for 150 children aged between 6 and 12 and 200 adolescents aged between 12 and 16 who can profit from these facilities, and 200 adults (mainly women), who will be able to participate in work-shops about topics as for example education, hygiene and health. The construction of the SOS Social Centre will presumably start in December 2006.

Cesaria Evora started her career at the age of 17 already. However, she had to wait almost 30 years for her breakthrough as a professional singer. It was only in 1988 that a young French of Capeverdian descent, José da Silva, would finally produce her first album. At that time, Cesaria Evora was 47 years old.

After her debut album in 1988, La Diva Aux Pieds Nus, more albums were to follow. She gave numerous concerts in Paris that were always sold out. And in 1992, she moved even further into the spotlight, boosted by her albums Mar Azul (1991) and Miss Perfumado (1992). The latter sold much more than 300,000 copies in France and was highly appreciated by the press. Since then, she has been releasing literally one album after the other. Cesaria Evora received her first Grammy Award in the category "Best Contemporary World Music Album" for her album Voz d'Amor in February 2004. Today, the Capeverdian singer with sold out concerts all over the world is a star of world music.

For Cesaria Evora, her music is a medium to raise awareness of the Cape Verde Islands. Her songs relate of the history, the culture and everyday life of her native country. Her music is morna. Cesaria Evora often emphasises that morna is like blues, expressing pain through the music. The queen of morna knows what she is singing about: In her childhood she experienced extreme poverty on the Cape Verdes. This is the reason why her songs are full of longing and melancholy.