Cesaria Evora asked heartache to come in and set a spell. The morna, the slow, rhythmically balladic blend of African blues and the Portuguese fado, was the perfect medium. Released in 1998 in the United States, this 1992 album about nostalgia, longing, hit-and-run lovers, and the sea features titles like "Barbincour" ("The Conman") and "Torura" ("Torture"). Not the least of Evora's magical appeal is that her smooth, honey-rich vocals suggest a universe of passion and pain with nary a spasm of self-pity to break the spell. --Elena Oumano

Like Billie Holiday, the Cape Verdean queen of morna--a slow, rhythmically balladic blend of African blues and the Portuguese fado--asked heartache to come in and set a spell. In fact, trouble and Cesaria Evora are longtime soulmates. This 1992 album (released in the U.S. in 1998) about nostalgia, longing, hit-and-run lovers, and the sea features titles like "Barbincour" ("The Conman") and "Torura" ("Torture"). It went gold in France, transforming the plump grandma diva of her West African island's beachside canteens into a world-music icon. Not the least of Evora's magical appeal is that those smooth, honey-rich vocals suggest a universe of passion and pain, with nary a spasm of self-pity to break the spell. --Elena Oumano