Uncovering B.Leza - Cesaria Evora’s songwriter

Few people in Europe had heard of Cabo Verde, an arc of 10 islands off the coast of Senegal, until Cesária Évora put them on the map of World Music in the 1990s. This also brought awareness of the transatlantic cultural migrations that had been fertilizing musical traditions in both the Americas and Africa throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries. The Cuban-Congolese connection is well-known, but Brazil and Cabo Verde exchanged important musical influences, and European dance styles became part of Cabo-Verdean tradition after picking up Brazilian influences on their way. 

  B. Leza is one of the most important composers in Cabo Verde, and anyone who knows Cesária Evora's discography knows that many of the songs that made her a success are by him. B. Léza is the artistic name of Francisco Xavier da Cruz (1905-1958), and in addition to his extensive musical work, he also wrote poetry and texts about Cabo Verde and its culture. Some previously unknown recordings of him singing were found last year and are expected to be published by Tradison in Portugal.

This interview was published in the online newspaper www.latinolife.co.uk in April 2022, and the full text with photos is available at:

https://www.latinolife.co.uk/articles/uncovering-bleza-cesaria-evoras-songwriter