Some people prefer to listen to her music rather than see her perform; some find that her style challenges their ideas of beauty. She intertwines melancholy and her arresting appearance with the incredible strength of her spirit that infuses every one of her songs. Others find 60-year-old Cesaria Evora fascinating because of her unusual, moving music. But whatever the case may be, one thing is certain: Russians are positively intrigued with Evora, who will give two commercial concerts in Moscow this week, following her first visit to the city a month ago for a VIP performance.

Part of the mystery has its roots in the singer's background. She represents both the weakness of impoverished people who were colonized by Portugal in the 15th century and the strength of an individual who overcame alcoholism, her unfavorable social conditions, and deeply embedded stereotypes of beauty to become one of the world's most sought-after musicians around the age of 50.

Evora only speaks Crioulo, a melodic blend of Portuguese and African language specific to mostly illiterate Cape Verdeans, while her Morna singing style is the most representative musical genre of Evora's homeland, the northern African archipelago of Cape Verde. She took a decade-long break from singing at the age of 35 because she couldn't support her family with music alone. Shortly after Cape Verde's independence in 1975, a Portuguese businessman decided to promote Cesaria to the world, making Morna's slow rhythm and melancholy lyrics world-famous. The rest is history. Ahead of her Moscow performances, Evora spoke to LifeStyle about her experiences as a woman and a singer.

Fourteen years ago you started receive worldwide recognition for your music, but you still go on stage barefoot, even while performing at prestigious places in Paris and London. Are you making a statement?

Actually, I neither buy shoes nor wear them, because I think they are uncomfortable. I don't like to wear them, and that is the only reason why I sing without shoes at my shows... Despite the fact that it is linked to my childhood, when I didn't have shoes - like many poor people in my country - this is not meant as an act of social criticism.

Your tickets in Moscow range in price from $50 to $150. What kind of public do you expect to attract?

I usually don't know anything about the ticket prices of my shows because this matter is of concern only to my producers and promoters. I am not particularly involved in how and where they organize the show, which is the decisive factor for the prices.

So that means that the social conditions of the public are not important?

Not only in Moscow, but also in Europe and in Cape Verde, when I agree to perform a show my attention is focused on how much I will earn for it, and that is what matters to me. The next step after that is to sing. I cannot get involved with what is a separate issue, such as ticket prices, and I also cannot tell the between a rich and poor public because people who really want to see me perform will make it anyway.

Considering your history, how do you manage to deal with the two extremes you experienced in your life: the former absence of material goods and the extreme opulence nowadays?

Of course my life has changed, but mainly because my fame has reached other countries. I don't think I have changed... I am the same as before, when I wasn't famous and was poor in Cape Verde... At that time, I was definitely poor, but I always had enough money to afford what my family and I needed. The only thing that has changed is that now I can buy more than before. It is a difficult matter to talk about. Having more purchasing power to me simply means that I don't have to save money to buy what I need. It makes it easier to buy.

What became easier to acquire?

I bought a house that was bigger than before, but a very simple one, because in Cape Verde everything is very simple. I live with my brother and his kids, while my daughter, son and their families, who live in separate houses, are always there with us.

From when you started to sing in Mindelo port of at the age of 16, you had a dream of becoming a professional singer, but that didn't become a reality until you were almost 50. Would your songs' melancholy come from personal sadness?

The sadness actually is just a technique. The songs' composers and authors create this atmosphere, which is peculiar to Morna, and I sing them. The music doesn't talk about me and was not written by me.

Some say your music has Mexican, Angolan and Brazilian influences, most of which are rather foreign to Russians. Do you think Russians will be able to appreciate your style?

I am coming to Russia for the second time because, during my first visit, I realized that they loved my music. It is always like this: I sing to people who are not acquainted with my songs, and then I always come back.

Since you have been traveling around the world, have you also been influenced by other musical trends?

Actually, one can find similarities between Morna and the songs of other countries, but I avoid them. Otherwise, I would not be loyal to my own roots. I sing a traditional music from Cape Verde, and I want to maintain its tradition.
When I listen to music, I like voices - the melody is less important. I like to listen to Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and [Brazilian singers] Marisa Monte and Caetano Veloso.
Cesaria Evora is singing at Moscow's Maly Theater on Friday, May 31 at 7 p.m.