The Barefoot Diva, Cesaria Evora, dies at 70 in her home town

Barefoot singer Cesaria Evora died Saturday in a hospital in Cape Verde, said Minister of Culture of Cape Verde, Mario Lucio Sousa.

Cesaria Evora, the famous Cape Verdean singer died in her native island of Sao Vicente, nearly three months after announcing the end of her career due to health problems.

Cesaria Evora, The Diva for her fans, had been hospitalized for several days at the Hospital Baptista de Sousa in Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente in Cape Verde, the town where she was living and where she had been on complete rest in the past two months.

The Diva was rushed to the hospital due to respiratory failure and pulmonary edema on the morning of December 16, 2011.

In 2008, Cesaria Evora suffered a stroke during her Australian tour and in 2010 she was hospitalized for a coronary problem.

Cesaria Evora began her international career at 47, when she recorded his first album in Paris, La Diva Aux pieds Nus (The Barefoot Diva). She gained international recognition with the song Sodade, released in 1992.

Since then, Cesaria Evora she has released 11 albums, sold over five million units and won numerous awards.

Nicknamed “The Barefoot Diva,” Cesaria Evora used to appear barefoot on stage at her concerts, showing that she never forgot her humble roots and reminding the world that millions of people are still living in poverty.