Some of the United States' leading musicians have fallen in love with Evora's vocals, including Madonna and Natalie Merchant Critics all sing her praises despite the fact that they, literally, have no idea what Evora is saying. Evora speaks a language known as Verdean, a Creole language or dialect which is Portuguese, but not quite, and astonishingly reminiscent of French and Spanish. It is the native tongue of the people of the islands of Cape Verde. Few people outside of Cape Verde speak Verdean, but that hasn't stopped Evora from acquiring a huge following around the world. Evora gets her message across through the emotional depth of her vocals.
Music is a universal language.
Although my songs are aimed at a Verdean audience, I think everyone can connect with them. From the time I was young and singing in the bars, the sailors would love my music, even if they could not understand them. I sang in Japan recently. There are no Verdeans in Japan, but they still connected to my songs. Like most international artists, Evora is performing for more than one audience.