Written over a decade ago but only now finding its form, “Cesária” marks a striking shift in pace and tone for Langendorf United, the exploratory Swedish quintet led by saxophonist and composer Lina Langendorf. The track is a personal homage to Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora, whose voice first reached Langendorf via Salif Keita’s “Yamore” and has remained with her ever since.

Originally from Härnösand and currently based in Stockholm, Langendorf has spent the past 12 years immersed in the musical culture of Addis Ababa, studying and performing Ethio-jazz with figures such as Mulatu Astatke, Alemayehu Eshete and Abegasu Shiota. Her longstanding connection to Évora’s voice — first encountered via a duet with Salif Keita on “Yamore” — runs parallel to her deep admiration for East and West African traditions, from griot instrumentation to modal horn lines. “Cesária” gently evokes that lineage, with lilting harmonic voicings, brushed drums, and a reverent melodic contour shaped around Langendorf’s saxophone. The bassline only came together in the final weeks before recording: not as one part, but four versions finalised just in time.

While their 2023 debut album, Yeahno Yowouw Land, leaned into sweat-soaked Ethio-grooves and exuberant club abstractions, “Cesária” settles into a slower, more contemplative register. The band — Daniel Bingert, Martin Hederos, Ole Morten Vågan and Andreas Werliin — move in close formation, allowing the track to unfold as an offering.

The arrangement shifts from a quiet viola line to full saxophone voice. Langendorf states the main motif early, shaped around Amharic modal scales, with bowed viola underneath. The bassline builds gradually, anchoring the piece without pushing. Cape Verdean phrasing, drawn from São Vicente songs, sits easily alongside the modal logic of Ethiopian small-group playing. The saxophone bends through quarter-tones and clipped melodic turns. In the background, percussive keys flicker against a rising figure: calm, but unresolved. The track is also dedicated to Langendorf’s grandmother Ruth, daughter of Swedish folk fiddler Bengt Bixo, and to her 92-year-old friend Marga.

Langendorf United’s second album Undercover Beast is slated for release on 26 September via Sing a Song Fighter, with worldwide distribution through Honest Jon’s Records. Pre-order the LP HERE