I can't resist writing a review about all that is from my home country Portugal as Sara Tavares is a beautiful Portuguese singer, composer and guitarist, here is my brief review:
Born Cape Verdean, Sara grew up between two cultures (Sara Tavares was raised by an older Portuguese woman when her Cape Verdean parents left her to search for a better life). Despite residing in Lisbon, she does not forget her Cape Verdean origins.
Sara Tavares was only 16 years old when she won two of Portugal's most prestigious TV music contests: Tavares won the 1993/1994 final of the song contest Chuva de Estrelas(stars in they're eyes) and the Portuguese Television Song Contest final in 1994, consequently earning a place the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "Chamar a Música"
Her second album 'Mi Ma Bô', produced by Parisian Lokua Kanza, reached gold in her native Portugal and was a mix of African rhythms and melodic pop songs. Sara Tavares was also nominated for the "Globos de Ouro" (Golden Globes), the Portuguese Grammies in the Category: Best Artist for their new albums. The Golden Globe Awards were created 11 years ago, in order to distinguish people from several areas like Music.
She has been working on her African roots for the past five years and has come up in February 2006 with this third album (what she calls an album of "lullabies to myself'') 'Balancé'. 'Balance' is an album filled with sweet R&B rhythms, smooth grooves, and multi-lingual lyrics (Portuguese, English, and Crioulo- the language of Capeverdeans). In this record produced by Sara herself, she wrote and composed all the songs and played many of the instruments. 'Balancé' is a beautiful record in which Sara shows to be a very talented contemporary singer/song writer, which has managed to combine contemporary music with her African roots. She is accompanied by Theo Pas'cal (one of Portugal's greatest Afro/jazz bass players), producer and composer of her songs also playing bass drums, Paulo Sérgio on piano and Orlanda Guilande on backing vocals and percussion. All the messages are about self-esteem and loving yourself, Sara Tavares' sweet voice and gentle arrangements communicate this meaning even if you cannot understand all of the lyrics. I think Fans of Norah Jones will be thrilled at Sara Tavares's warm, jazzy vocals.
Sara Tavares was here in the UK a few times: 4 March 2006-Charlie Gillett Radio Show UK 6 March 2006-Momos, London 17 November 2006-London Jazz Festival, Purcell room
1. - Balancê 2. - Bom Feeling 3. - Lisboa Kuya 4. - Ess Amor 5. - One Love 6. - Poka Terra - Feat. Melo D 7. - Amor é 8. - Dam Bô 9. - Guisa 10.- Planeta Sukri - Feat. Boy Gê Mendes 11.- Novidadi 12.- Muna Xeia 13.- De Nua - Feat. Ana Moura
Extracted from from her site... "Multilingual wordplay shows up throughout Tavares' album, and she hops across cultural references as much as she embraces any. The album title Balancê - pronounced bal-on-SAY - has many different meanings. The noun balanço is used in Portuguese when music "swings." Lusophone Africans use the verb form balancê in a more general way. "When you are eating something really good you say 'this food is balancê!'" explains Tavares.
"For me the song, 'Balancê' is also about balancing yourself," Tavares continues, "between sadness and joy; day and night; salt and sugar. It's about balancing emotions. You are always walking a thin line and you have to keep your balance. You have to dance with that line in order to keep standing. If you stay too rigid, you will fall."
Enjoy
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