Tortura

I don’t speak Portuguese, but if I had to guess, I would say that Cesaria is singing that love and loss are torture. I don’t know if it says that those things are sweet torture, for that would be too on-the-nose, but it almost certainly …

Toro Mata

Angelique Kidjo has spent her career exploring the deep connections between the musical styles of Africa and those of the new world, starting with her native Benin and pulling in a diverse range Afro-Caribbean and pan-Latin American traditions. One of her recent projects was Celia, …

Tolongo

If I see an album at the record store called Synchro System, I would assume, based on the name, that it may be some underground German house music from the 90’s. I would not expect it to be King Sunny Ade introducing Nigerian juju music …

Tiramakan

Sometimes it’s comforting to get lost in something that is completely alien and far removed. Mali’s Rail Band is about as foreign as it gets, being worlds away both in geography and in time. But music bridges all differences – there are no language barriers …

Tiedioucouya

I have been listening to this record by Malian supergroup Rail Band ever since I serendipitously discovered it. However, I know so little about The Rail Band and their discography that I’m not even sure what decade these songs were recorded in. I do know …

Tender

In honor of summer vibes, here is something by Trinidadian soca music queen Patrice Roberts. Roberts became famous on the Caribbean music scene after the Trinidad Ministry of Tourism used one of her songs for a commercial. She has recorded two albums and dozens of …

Tchom Frio

Let’s have a little bit more Cesaria Evora, because I want to keep the mood going. This is a live performance from 2009, probably one of her last, as she died in 2011. Evora was in her fifties when she came to international acclaim, and …

Tchintchirote

I don’t know if Cabo Verde is the first Cesaria Evora record I ever heard. It wasn’t her first big breakout, but also, I was always a few years behind the times, so maybe it was. It’s hard to forget hearing Evora’s voice for the …

Tan Kalakatan

Have you wondered what else Cabo Verdean music has to offer since Cesaria Evora passed away? Surely there is a younger generation of divas ready to step into the role of musical ambassador. Mayra Andrade may not have an airport named after her yet, but …

Tanha

Oh my, I haven’t played Cesaria Evora in a long time. I guess I’ve been neglecting the teatime music. That’s a genre, and if you know you know. Cesaria Evora possessed the kind of voice that inspires reams of purple prose from critics. My best …