Sao Vicente [sound recording] / Cesaria Evora.

Compact disc.

Lyrics in Portuguese with some in Spanish

1 Sao Vincente Di Longe ; 2 Homem Na Meio Di' Homem ; 3 Tiempo Y Silencio ; 4 Sabor de Pecado ; 5 Dor Di Amor ; 6 Nutridinha ; 7 Regresso ; 8 Esperanca Irisada ; 9 Ponta De Fi ; 10 Crepuscular Solidao ; 11 Linda Mimosa ; 12 Negue ; 13 Bondade E Maldade ; 14 Fada ; 15 Pic Nic Na Salamansa

Personnel: Cesária Évora (vocals); Pedro Guerra, Bonnie Raitt (vocals); Kako (guitar, cavaquinho); Pancho Amat (tres); Julian Corrales, Gerardo García, Ernesto Diaz, Julio Cesart Garcia, Hugo Cruz (violin); Robert Herrera, Jos Marón (viola); Danny Rodriguez (cello); José Luis Cortés (flute); Régis Gizavo (accordion); Totinho (saxophone); Allen Hoist (alto saxophone); Nicolas Gueret, Jose Luis Hernandez (tenor saxophone); Christophe Dutray, Peter Volpe (trumpet); Philippe Henry (trombone); Fernando Andrade (piano, background vocals); Silvano Michelino (percussion); Simentera, Teófilo Chantre, Lura (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Jose Da Silva ; Stephanie Caisson. Recording information: Studio Abdala, Havana, Cuba; Studio Mega, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Photographer: Claude Gassian. Arranger: Fernando Andrade. Personnel includes: Cesaria Evora, Bonnie Raitt, Caetano Veloso, Chucho Valdes, Pedro Guerra (vocals); Fernando Andrade (arranger, piano, background vocals); Demetrio Muniz (conductor); Joao Pina Alves (12-string guitar, cavaquinho, background vocals); Aderito Goncalves (slide guitar); Antonio Alves (cavaquinho, background vocals); Hugo Cruz, Ernesto Diaz, Silvio Duquesne (violin); Jose Maron, Rafael Cutino (viola); Roy Avila Serrano, Mickel Campilgo (cello); Yanela Lojos (harp); Jose Luis Cortes (flute); Allen Hoist (alto saxophone); Nicolas Gueret (tenor saxophone); Antonio Domingos Gomes Fernandes (saxophone, percussion, background vocals); Peter Volpe, Christophe Dutray (trumpet); Philippe Henry (trombone); Virgilio Julio Duarte (drums, percussion, background vocals). Engineers include: Ronaldo Lima, Jean -Pierre Pollet, Stephane Caisson.

SAO VICENTE was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album. Cesaria Evora, who at times has been referred to as a new Edith Piaf, turns in another masterful album with her first release of the new millennium, Sao Vicente. This album features several first-rate guest appearances, including Pedro Guerra, Caetano Veloso, Chucho Valdes, and North American blues superstar Bonnie Raitt (who, as always, delivers a remarkable performance) but none takes the stage from Cesaria. This is an album which, even when sunny and jubilant, still has an underlying theme of boundless sorrow, but in the end, the music is pure joy to the ear and the spirit. Highlights of the album include the elegant, nostalgic and sweeping opener, "Sao Vicente Di Longe" (which is the title of the European version of the album). "Dor Di Amor" best illustrates how such joyful music, with jubilant beats and horns, can be so sad, with Cesaria's mournful laments decorating the uplifting song. The album includes more Latin-tinged songs, including "Tiempo Y Silencio" where she sings in Spanish, and nostalgic torch songs, such as "Linda Mimosa" and "Negue," which finds Cesaria accompanied solely by a piano, resulting in one of the most beautiful and touching performances on the album. As is always the case with this singer, the album is strong from start to finish. One can rejoice in Cesaria's musical journey, which proves that true art and emotion can find a route to success in an era of overwhelmingly manufactured artifice. ~ Jose Promis

Sung in Portuguese.