This melancholic song expresses the sadness of those who had been left behind.

Cesária Évora – “Sodade”

“Sodade” (1992, from 1950s)

A typical Cape Verdean coldeira  song, this gentle, melancholic song was written in the 1950s to express the sadness of those who had been left behind on Cape Verde when their loved ones migrated overseas. In 1992, it was popularized by Cesária Évora. 

A Yearning of the Soul

The word “sodade”  is usually translated as sadness, longing, or nostalgia. As Nick Cave expressed it so eloquently, “saudade”  is “an inexplicable longing, an unnamed and enigmatic yearning of the soul.”  *

* “Sodade”  is the creole version of the Portuguese word “saudade”

Cesária Évora  

Known as either “The Barefoot Diva”  or “the Queen of Morna,”  Cesária Évora was a singer from the island nation of Cape Verde who achieved international fame only after she was well into middle age. 

From Waves to Airwaves

When she was only 16, she was invited to sing in a sailor’s tavern. Within a few years, she was singing on Portuguese cruise ships that stopped in Cape Verde, and local radio stations started playing her songs .

In the 1980s, she performed in Portugal and recorded her first commercial album. In the 1990s, she achieved greater international success, and received the first of numerous awards.  _{(Image source)}

Smoking and Welcoming

In Cape Verde in 2011, with the door to her home still open to visitors, and still smoking, Cesária Évora passed away. 

Since then, her image has appeared on a Cape Verde postage stamp and a banknote, and an airport in the country has been named after her. 

Quem mostra' bo esse caminho longe?    [2 x]
Esse caminho pra São Tomé
Quem mostra' bo esse caminho longe?    [2 x]
Esse caminho pra São Tomé
Sodade sodade, Sodade dessa minha terra, São Nicolau    [2 x]

Si bô 'screvê' me 'm ta 'screvê be    [2 x]
Até dia qui bô voltà
Si bô 'screvê' me 'm ta 'screvê be    [2 x]
Até dia qui bô voltà, sodade
Sodade sodade, Sodade dessa minha terra, São Nicolau    [2 x]

Quem mostra' bo esse caminho longe?    [2 x]
Esse caminho pra São Tomé
Quem mostra' bo esse caminho longe?    [2 x]
Esse caminho pra São Tomé
Sodade sodade, Sodade dessa minha terra, São Nicolau    [2 x]

Si bô 'screvê' me 'm ta 'screvê be   
Até dia qui bô voltà

Si bô 'screvê' me 'm ta 'screvê be   
Até dia qui bô voltà, sodade Sodade sodade
Sodade sodade, Sodade dessa minha terra, São Nicolau    [3 x]
Sodade dessa minha terra, São Nicolau

[English translation of lyrics]

Who will show you this distant way?
Who will show you this distant way?
This way to Sao Tomé?

The longing, the longing, the longing
For this land of mine, Sao Nicolau

If you write me a letter
I will write you back
If you forget me
I will forget you

Until the day you come back   _{(Image source)}
Lyrics by Armando Zeferino Soares, courtesy of – Google.com
English translation of lyrics courtesy of – LyricsTranslate.com
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – NadineKhouri.com
Reference – Wikipedia

Into your ears … through 5 channels

 The various posts are categorized into 5 channels _{(Right-Click to see details)}
         1 – “Music to Your Ears” (MTYE)
         2 – “Cover Versions”
         3 – “Honor Roll”
         4 – “Documentaries”
         5 – “Mock’n’Roll”

More “Music to Your Ears” ...

          Previous posts in this series – "MTYE posts 1–20"  

Links to my other series ...

          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"
          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"

          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part One – My Lyrics Posts 3~30”
          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part Two – My Lyrics Posts 31~60”  

          Vocab-Ability – "Introduction to Vocab-Ability"  
          Vocab-Ability – "Index"  to all Chapters and Sections  

          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part One – Notes 1~50"  
          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part Two – Notes 51~87"