A buoyant Evora rescues the evening

It’s a good thing Cesaria Evora was the headliner for the “World Divas” concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday. Without the presence of the engaging Cape Verdean singer, the opening event in the Bowl’s 2003 world-music series would have had virtually nothing to do with either “world” or “divas.”

When Moroccan artist Natacha Atlas had to cancel because of her band’s visa problems, the only act left was the English group Morcheeba. It may be technically correct to say that Morcheeba is a “world music” act because it is indeed from another country. But the group’s mildly pleasant rock music can be heard performed as well, or better, on any given night by dozens of bands in Southland pop music venues. Its only unique asset was the dark-hued, Sade-reminiscent voice of singer Skye Edwards.

Fortunately, Evora was waiting in the wings. Strolling on stage in all her matriarchal glory, she offered a colorful display of Cape Verdean musical styles that she has brought to the world. Among them: the mornas, with their blending of blues-like African balladry and the layered passions of fado; and the more rhythmically vigorous coladeiras.

Her lengthy set included two of her most famous mornas, “Miss Perfumado” and “Sodade.” Like many of her numbers, the latter expresses the characteristic sadness and longing -- “saudade” in the original Portuguese -- associated with the frequent emigration that has taken place from the Cape Verdean archipelago.

In Evora’s readings, however, subtle accents and sweeping melodic phrasing enlivened the longing with an undercurrent of I-will-survive sanguinity. She was aided, in that sense, by her charismatic presence as well as the buoyant rhythmic accompaniment of her seven-piece ensemble.

Evora’s entertaining, 75-minute set largely rescued what might have been, at best, a problematic evening.

But the program also illustrated two problems in this year’s world-music lineup: first, an overemphasis on pop-driven world beat music; and second, the possibility that the state of world affairs may affect travel plans for other scheduled artists.