World Music that Moves the Soul by Sara Tavares

For the last few years, my most listened to artist has been the sweet and soulful songstress Sara Tavares.  Sara is of Cape  Verdean decent by way of Lisbon Portugal.  Her smooth vocals lace deep rooted tracks that take me on a journey, feeling my own connection to Iberia and it’s ancient African-Moorish roots.  Sara plays guitar on all her songs and writes in a variety of languages, from Portuguese, Cape Verdean Portuguese,  English, French and other world tongues.  Her music is laden with world music influences, from Brazil to West Africa and for a lover of Afro-Luso culture and music, definitely provides the funky suingue that captures the heart and makes anyone that can feel, sway to the rhythm.

Check out this sweet live performance by Sara.

For those that are unfamiliar, Cape Verde is a unique little island chain off of Senegal West Africa in the middle of the Atlantic.  It has a rich history of Portuguese, Italian, West African and even Jewish ancestry and roots.  This island, which prospered a great deal during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, declined in affluence with the decline of the trade.  Yet, though the vast majority of Cape Verdeans reside outside of the archipelago in places like Senegal and even in the Northeastern United States,  there still exist a rich and enticing culture.  Despite it’s fascinating history,  Cape Verde remains a best kept secret to much of the world though it is slowly becoming more of a tourist destination for Europeans looking to escape harsh Europe winters.

Here’s a map of Cape Verde showing it’s proximity to West Africa.