If you’re a fan of the famed Cape Verdian singer Cesaria Evora (and WHO ISN’T), you know that there’s no one else out there to take her place, which makes you cherish her catalogue even more. Well, there’s cause for rejoicing, as this latest release is a collection of material that she and producer Jose da Silva put together over her long career but somehow didn’t fit into the final product of the time. These are not rejected out-takes: each song is a pure pleasure, from the luscious opening sax that leads into “Sentimento” to the winsome marimbas on “Esperanca” that serve as genteel introductions to Ms. Evoria’s agonizingly velvet voice. She pours out her heart on the penetrating title track, yet she can also get playful as on the cheery “Cme Catchorr” and the energetic “Tchon da Franca” enticing guitars provide irresistible rhythms to create a journey to another place in another time. A trip well advised.
Lusafrica Records