Legendary Cape Verdean Singer Cesária Évora Honored With Google Doodle

Today would have been the "Barefoot DIva's" 78th birthday.

Legendary Cape Verdean Singer Cesária Évora Honored With Google Doodle

Today's Google Doodle is a tribute to the late Cape Verdean icon Cesária Évora on what would have been her 78th birthday.

The doodle shows the renowned vocalist performing against a backdrop of a colorful coastal town, which depicts the city of Mindelo where she was born. The Google in Africa Twitter page, shared the artwork on their Twitter page, adding in fun facts about the singer and her many accomplishments.


The singer, known as the "Barefoot Diva, for her affinity for performing without shoes, was also considered the "Queen of Morna," the rythmic and poetic style of music, which often includes lyrics sung in Cape Verdean Creole. She received international acclaim for her work, becoming the foremost musical ambassador of the sounds of Cape Verde.

Evora began her career in the 1960, when she began singing on Portuguese cruise ships. Her big break wouldn't come until 1985 when she was discovered by a local producer after a performance in Lisbon. She released her first commercial album with 1988's La Diva Aux Pieds Nus. She is perhaps best known, however, for her seminal 1992 album Miss Perfumado,which included one of her biggest songs "Sodade."

She earned her first Grammy nomination in 1995 for her album Cesária, and her first Grammy win in the World Music cateogry in 2003. She won three KORA All African Music Awards during a single ceremony in 1997, and went on to win the "Merit of the Jury" award twice during her storied career. Her philanthropic work included being an ambassador for the UN World Food Programme.

The signer's work has been highly influential for a number of African artists including Stromae, who dedicated his 2014 song "Ave Cesaria" to the singer.

Today we celebrate the artist's unique legacy. Revisit the singer's 2004 performance of "Sodade" below.

CESARIA EVORA - Sodade. Live In Paris at Le Grand Rex, April 2004. (HD).www.youtube.com

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