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Cape Verde singer Cesaria Evora ends career at 70

The producer for singer Cesaria Evora says she has decided to end her career at age 70 because of health problems.
/ Source: The Associated Press

The producer for singer Cesaria Evora says she has decided to end her career at age 70 because of health problems.

Evora, known as the "Barefoot Diva" because she performed without shoes, is 70 and in recent years has had several operations, including open-heart surgery last year.

She won a Grammy in 2003 in the World Music category for her album "Voz D'Amor." She toured worldwide and sold millions of albums.

Evora is from Cape Verde, a group of islands off West Africa, and sang that country's traditional music. It combines mournful ballads with more upbeat rhythms and a Latin American influence.

Her Lisbon, Portugal-based producer Tumbao said in a statement Friday that Evora has decided to retire.