Sound of Cabo Verde – The Legacy of Cesária Évora

The African archipelago of Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and South America is world-famous for its music: influenced by the melancholy of Portuguese Fado and Brazilian rhythms, it conveys a melancholy joie de vivre that is unique in this combination.

Cesária Évora made the melancholic Cape Verdean music world-famous at the beginning of the 90s. Évora was the queen of the Morna, the bittersweet, blues-like music of longing for her homeland. Where does this music come from? What distinguishes it? How is Évora's music maintained and further developed by her heirs in Cape Verde? Cape Verdean musicians continue to spread the island’s attitude toward life through the sound of violins, guitars, accordions, clarinets, and cavaquinhos. The songs reflect the history and spirit of many generations of islanders, who find their cultural identity in this music. Departing from the traditional sounds of Évora, the film will also present younger, contemporary facets of Cape Verdean music such as the music of Ceuzany with the Cordas do Sol and Hilário Silva. This film combines music, history, and scenery of the Cape Verde Islands to form an attitude toward life.