Singer behind the popularity of Cape Verde's morna ballads

Cape Verdean singer nicknamed the 'barefoot diva' cancels all forthcoming dates and apologises to fans

Cesaria Evora, 60, was born in Cape Verde, a group of islands off West Africa. The daughter of a violinist, she began performing morna, a mournful genre of blues, at 16. In Europe, tapes of her performances were made into albums. She left the islands for the first time in her 40s and by her 50s was a major star. Dubbed the barefoot diva, her fans include Madonna and Ricky Martin. She is performing at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on July 13.