An invitation into the musical realm of Maria de Barros calls for an intriguing geography lesson. The charismatic young chanteuse is a native of Dakar, Senegal, and lived the first 13 years of her life in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in Northwest Africa. De Barros’s creative heart, however, lies in the culturally rich land of Cabo Verde, a former Portuguese colony located 350 miles off the coast of Senegal, the birthplace of her parents and her godmother, Cesária Évora, also known as the “barefoot diva.” It’s the island’s incredible melting pot of music—which includes everything from African and Portuguese to Argentine and Cuban influences—that has always inspired de Barros to set her heart on home.