On December 26, American vocalist-composer Kavita Shah released the single and music video “Miss Perfumado,” offering an intimate tribute to the Cape Verdean morna and the legacy of Cesária Évora. The release highlights Shah’s decade-long deep research into traditional Cape Verdean music and collaboration with master guitarist Bau (Évora’s former musical director), which culminated in the acclaimed album Cape Verdean Blues (2023).
During a break in their worldwide tour, Kavita and Bau recorded the video on the island of São Vicente, at the home of 88-year-old Vó Lina, famous for her weekly cachupas and her homemade liqueur, or ponche. Filmed outdoors by Edson Silva Delgado, the music video for “Miss Perfumado” captures a spontaneous moment among the musicians, preserving the authenticity of the morna, the Kriol spirit of welcoming, or morabeza, and the latmosphere of human warmth.
Listen to the song exclusively on Bandcamp here.