Sara Tavares

Sara Alexandra Lima Tavares was a Portuguese singer and multi-instrumentalist born on February 1, 1978, in Lisbon. Her roots trace back to Cape Verde, from where her parents immigrated in the 1970s. Her music blended African, Portuguese, and North American influences, creating a unique tapestry of sound. Despite facing early family challenges, with her father leaving and her mother moving south, her musical talents shone brightly. She burst onto the scene in 1994, winning the national TV song contest Chuva de Estrelas with a stunning rendition of Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time." That same year, at just 16, she won the Festival da Canção, earning a spot in the Eurovision Song Contest. Her winning song, "Chamar a Música," was later included in her gospel and funk-tinged debut EP, Sara Tavares & Shout (1996). In 1999, Sara Tavares released her studio debut Mi Ma Bô, produced by Lokua Kanza. Her career continued to blossom, and in 2000, she received a Portuguese Golden Globe for Best Portuguese Singer. She also lent her voice to the European-Portuguese version of "God Help the Outcasts" for Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," earning a Disney Award for this exceptional rendition. Over the following years, albums such as Balancê (2006) and Xinti (2009) elicited praise from critics and cemented her reputation as one of the most celebrated Portuguese singer-songwriters of her generation. After a break, she returned in 2017 with Fitxadu, an album reflecting Lisbon's diverse African sounds and cultures. This work, with a more electronic and urban feel, was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Roots Album. Tragically, Sara Tavares passed away on November 19, 2023, in Lisbon, at the age of 45, after a long battle with a brain tumor.