Mayra Andrade

Against the background of Santiago, the characteristically African island of her birth, the singer interweaves reggae, son, chanson, bossa nova and flamenco with the rhythms, melodies and stories of the Cape Verde Islands.

Almost every female Cape Verdean singer is held up for comparison with Cesária Évora. Mayra Andrade, just 29 years old, comes off well – not least because she has never called the great Cape Verdean diva to mind. It may also have to do with her international childhood, from which the sounds of a wider world have flowed into her music. She interweaves reggae, son, chanson, bossa nova and flamenco with the rhythms, melodies and stories of the Cape Verde Islands. Yet each of these isles has its own distinct sound. Hailing from the characteristically African island of Santiago, Mayra Andrade gives world-class resonance to the rich musical map of her heritage. Indeed, she has worked with such luminaries as Orlando Pantera, Idan Raichel, Benjamin Biolay and Trio Mocotó. Her newly released fourth album sounds like its title, a name once given to her by a friend: “Lovely Difficult.”