Have you ever listened to Cesaria Evora sing?
Born in 1941 in Mindel, Cape Verde, she was raised by her father, a part time musician who would play in local sailors’ bars. When her father passed away, she was sent to live in an orphanage. After living there a few years, someone persuaded her to start singing in the sailors’ bars, which she did throughout the 60’s and 70’s. In 1985, she was invited to sing in Lisbon. While there, she was discovered by an international record producer, and, well, the rest is history.
Cesaria’s voice is a windy day, the gentle breeze brushing against your face and body. She’s the calm before the storm, her voice one moment as high as a mountain, then next as low as the shells on the beach under your feet. Like many of the musicians I love, her poetry and music can be found quoting Rimbaud or James Joyce, but at the same time would be right at home in the back alleys of any city.
It was her beautiful voice that inspired me to create the piece you see below you, which I called “Sezara Avora”.
After a long night out, I arrived at home and sat for a while, listening to Cesaria. She brought me back down to Earth, but at the same time I was soaring through the air. She calmed me, making me feel as though I were on a mountain slow dancing with the one I love in the moonlight.
I felt the music playing beside me, and it met with my soul. I let it take the lead, and it drew me into this painting and this moment.
Listen to the song below, and if the mood strikes you, take a look at the painting while you do. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.
Contact Francesco Galle
If you like this piece, you can find others like it on my canvas prints in Toronto website. You can find portraits, abstract illustrations, more whimsical pieces like the one above, and more. I’m also available for commissioned work.