. Her winning song , " Chamar a Música ," by Rosa Lobato de Faria and João Oliveira , with which she came eighth in the Eurovision Song Contest for Portugal was featured on her debut EP , Sara Tavares & Shout ( 1996 ). An album , where Tavares mixed gospel and funk with her native Portuguese influences . In “ Sara Tavares & Shout ,” she emulated American pop-R & B and featured a gospel choir called Shout . Her second Album released in 1999 , “ Mi Ma Bo ” (“ You and Me ”), was produced by the Paris-based Congolese songwriter Lokua Kanza and dipped into an international assortment of styles . It was certified gold in Portugal .
Over the next two decades , Sara Tavares released several albums that brought her closer to her Cabo Verde roots , most notably " Balancê " ( 2005 ), which earned her a platinum disc and a nomination as Breakthrough Artist at the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards .
In 2011 , she won Best Female Voice at the Cabo Verde Music Awards , and the following year she continued her international tour with " Xinti ", the title of the album she released in 2009 , which won her the Career Award at the Africa Festival in Germany In 2018 , she was nominated for a Latin Grammy with her fifth album , " Fitxadu " ( 2017 ), in which she deepened her relationship with Cabo Verde ' s music , with Manecas Costa , Nancy Vieira , Toty Sa ' Med and Kalaf Epalanga among the guests .
Sara Tavares has collaborated with various names in Portuguese and Lusophone music , including Ala dos Namorados , Dany Silva , Paulo Flores , Buraka Som Sistema and Carlão . In an interview promoting the release of “ Balancê ,” she said : “ When I walk around with my friends , it ’ s a very , very interesting community . We speak Portuguese slang , Angolan slang , some words in Cape Verdean Criolo , and of course some English . In Criolo there are already English and French words . This is because slaves from all over the world had to communicate and didn ’ t speak the same languages .”
She added : “ I want to be a part of a movement like the African Americans were , like the African Brazilians were . Instead of doing the music of their ancestors , they have created this musical identity of their own . And it is now respected . It is considered whole and authentic and genuine . It will be a long time before the people from my generation do not have to choose between being African or European . I think you shouldn ’ t have to choose .”
In 2006 in regards to her album " Balancê " ( produced by Times Square Records ), she stated she found a sense of belonging through her music , one that has sometimes eluded her , an ethnic Cape Verdean born in Portugal and raised without her parents .
" My sound is a little bit like my identity ," she said . " Crioulo ."
Interview from Lisbon , the same year , she said her primary influences were traditional Cape Verdean and other African music , Portuguese folk , and black American music , especially Motown . Her guitar and vocals incorporate the Cape Verdean genre coladeira , jazz , bits of reggae , samba , fado , hip hop , and African rhythms .
Her lyrics , she said , are written in a highly personal singer-songwriter style . She sings mainly in Portuguese , with a sprinkling of English and Crioulo ( Cape Verdean creole , a mix of Portuguese and West African languages ).
The Executive Director of World Music Inc . Maure Aronson , who managed her tour in the United States during the same year , said Ms . Tavares is " a phenomenal songwriter , great musician , and fantastic voice ."
The language barrier for English-speaking audiences is really no barrier at all , he said .
Flashmag ! Issue 146 December 2023
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