Rogamar – literally "pray to the sea "  - immerses listeners in the daily joys and sorrows of Cesaria's native archipelago, the emotional contrast further emphasised by the singer's alternately smooth, husky tones. Rogamar is a haunting ode to the ocean, a homage to the waves that lap the islands' shores. In the space of fifteen watery ballads, the Barefoot Diva dips her toes into what has always been the primary source of inspiration for traditional Cape Verdean music: the sea, longing for loved ones lost to distant horizons, the hope of return and the promise of better days to come.

Cesaria excels at the romantic mornas of her native isle, brightening their melancholy with a touch of the sun's rays. Meanwhile, with an impressive performance in Creole, French singer Cali (one of the guest artists on the album) delves into the heart of saudade, Cape Verdean blues, on the deliciously sensual ballad Um pincelada. Then there are the coladeiras, whose vibrant percussive rhythms celebrate boats returning to port and express the festive side of island life through parodies and popular folk tales. Senegalese guest artist Ismaël Lo puts a new twist on the genre, turning his sparkling coladeira, Africa Nossa, into a pan-African anthem on which his native Wolof merges with Cesaria's velvet Creole, recalling Cape Verde's history as a cultural melting-pot. Brazil also gets a namecheck via the 'cellist Jacques Maurelenbaum, whose superb arrangements enhance the joyous tropical melancholy of Rogamar, an album that stands at the maritime crossroads of a wealth of influences and emotions.

Cesaria Evora Rogamar (Lusafrica /RCA/Sony-BMG) 2006