Sara Tavares’s cause of death and obituary have been explored in this report. She was a Portuguese singer, composer, guitarist, and percussionist. She was born and brought up in Lisbon, Portugal. Second-generation Portuguese of Cape Verdean descent, she composed African-, Portuguese-, and North American-influenced world music.
Sara Tavares bio and career
Tavares’s parents migrated from Cape Verde and settled in Almada during the 1970s. At a young age, she was entrusted to the care of an elderly woman when her father left the family and her mother relocated to the southern part of the country with her younger siblings.
Tavares displayed immense musical talent from an early age. In 1994, she triumphed in the national television song competition Chuva de Estrelas with her rendition of Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time”. That same year, she emerged victorious in the Festival da Canção, which granted her a spot in the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest at the age of 16. Her winning song, “Chamar a Música,” was featured on her debut EP, Sara Tavares & Shout (1996), where she skillfully blended gospel and funk with her Portuguese roots.
Her first album, Mi Ma Bô [pt], was produced by Lokua Kanza and released in 1999.
In 2017, after an eight-year hiatus since Xinti [pt], Tavares unveiled Fitxadu [pt]. This album drew inspiration from the diverse African sounds and cultures found in Lisbon, showcasing a more electronic and urban sound compared to her previous works. Fitxadu [pt] received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Portuguese Language Roots Album.
Building on her triumph, she secured an impressive eighth-place finish in Dublin that same year. Undeterred by the challenges, she continued to pursue her passion and in 1996, she unveiled her debut album, ‘Sara Tavares & Shout!’. This marked the start of a prolific career, as she went on to release numerous albums over the next two decades.
In 2005, her album ‘Balance’ garnered significant recognition, earning her a nomination for a platinum record at the esteemed BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards. Furthermore, she showcased her versatility by lending her voice to the European-Portuguese version of ‘God Help the Outcasts’ for the Disney film ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’. Her exceptional talent was duly acknowledged in 2000 when she received the Portuguese Golden Globe for Best Portuguese Singer.
Tavares’ music transcended boundaries, drawing inspiration from a diverse range of genres such as funk, soul, gospel, and pop. Her musical influences included legendary artists like Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, and Aretha Franklin, who played a significant role in shaping her artistic journey.
Sara Tavares cause of death and obituary
Tavares, who battled a brain tumour, sadly passed away at the age of 45. A brain tumour is cancerous or non-cancerous mass or growth of abnormal cells in the brain. Tumours can start in the brain, or cancer elsewhere in the body can spread to the brain. Symptoms include new or increasingly strong headaches, blurred vision, loss of balance, confusion and seizures. In some cases, there may be no symptoms.
She gained recognition for representing her country in Dublin, performing the song ‘Chamar a Música’ and securing the eighth position. The news of her death was announced by her grieving family in Lisbon, as reported by Portuguese sources. Tavares’ remarkable performance and her song’s success made a lasting impact in Portugal’s history. Notably, she received 12 votes from the Spanish jury and garnered points from 13 out of the 25 participating nations in that year’s contest.
