Cesária Évora

With Évora now a certified international star, the new millennium didn't see any loss of momentum for the singer, and she continued to record and tour the globe. Her 2001 release, Sao Vicente, featured numerous collaborations, including appearances from Bonnie Raitt, Orquesta Aragón, and Brazilian superstar Caetano Veloso. Already a well-televised figure in Europe, her growing popularity in North America led to an appearance on The David Letterman Show; a DVD titled Live in Paris; the reissue of her 1974 album Distino di Belita; and the 2004 Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music recording for Voz d'Amor. The same year she was recognized by French culture minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon as an Officer des Arts et des Lettres. After another extensive tour, in 2006 Évora released Rogamar, much of which was recorded in her hometown of Mindelo. Three years later, she released Nha Sentimento, another hometown affair, with more songs from the pen of Teofilo Chantre. Continuing heart trouble forced her to undergo surgery in 2010, and one year later, she retired from performing due to poor health. Three months after that announcement, on December 17, 2011, she died at a hospital in Mindelo.