(Portugal/Cape Verde) We've been fans of Sara Tavares ever since we saw her hold an entire audience entranced at a solo acoustic set several years ago. Link viewers will recognize her from another video "Mi Ma Bo" and in this new video, "Balancé" her supple voice combines the best of pop and roots stylings. Singing in a combination of Portuguese, Angolan, Crioulo and English, her songs are quintessentially Cape Verdean yet  personal. "Balancé" is about the need for balance in all of life, and was inspired by an episode during a trip to Zimbabwe. "I saw some really drunk people dancing," says Tavares. "We were watching them, and they were always almost falling and then they would catch themselves. Just like those people dancing, I also want to dance with that kind of freedom and balance." The video captures both the anecdotal and philosophical intent of the song- every dancer in it has his or her own style, and tying it all together is the warmth and playfulness conveyed by Tavares herself.

World Music: Sara Tavares, "Balancé"