By Geisa Rodrigues
As we celebrate Elis Regina’s 73rd Birthday on March 17th, we look back at Brazil’s greatest female vocalist and her legacy, which lives on through her daughter Maria Rita’s own independent success. The month of March is significant in many ways to Elis’s career. Born in the small Southern capital of Porto Alegre on a rainy afternoon in 1945, the young girl would become a local radio star by 11, and record her first album Viva a Brotolândia when she was only 16. After her 19th birthday, having reached peak local success, it was time to join the big leagues in Rio de Janeiro. On March 28th, 1964 she and her father would arrive there with 150 bucks in their pocket and big dreams. Only 3 days later, the military would march into Rio to overthrow the government of João Goulart, and establish the Military Dictatorship that would rule Brazil for the next 21 years. The repressive government would come to play a huge role in Elis’s career, as well as the musical and artistic movements that would come to flourish in that political environment. In the next year, she booked local gigs at Bêco das Garrafas, booming neighborhood described by Arthur de Faria in his book Elis: A Musical Biography, “The Mecca of Bossa Nova, the Bêco was the center of bohemian, carioca intellectualism.” It was there that she would meet her collaborators, Luís Carlos Miéle and Ronaldo Bôscoli - her first husband. Another important figure of her early days in Rio was American choreographer and singer Lennie Dale, who helped polish her stage presence, and taught her vocal techniques from the Broadways stage. The popularity she accumulated between her shows in Rio and Sao Paulo, landed her in TV Excelsior’s first Festival de Música Popular Brasileira (Popular Brazilian Music Festival) held on April 4th,1965. Singing “Arrastão” by Edu Lobo and Vinicius de Moraes Elis would finally be introduced to a national audience that immediately fell in love with her. The song came in first place, and she won the title of best interpreter. Television proved to be the perfect fit for Elis. While initially she was made fun of for her hairstyle, makeup, and clothes, audiences were captivated by her big voice, swinging arms, and infectious smile. A partnership with Jair Rodrigues, another eccentric rising star, for three sold out shows led to a contract with TV Record for a weekly musical program starring the two. O Fino Da Bossa was a success for three years, earning the biggest paycheck in the industry, and releasing the first album to sell one million copies nationally, Dois na Bossa. Elis and Jair would release 3 albums together, interpreting traditional samba and Bossa, but also blending their unique styles into emerging samba-jazz and samba-rock. It is often said of Elis that she considered herself to be part of the orchestra. A born musician, who taught herself to sing by listening to albums until she could recreate them perfectly, she was extremely involved in the selection of songs and arrangements, often clashing with producers. Her explosive personality earned her the nickname Pimentinha or “little pepper” given affectionately by Tom Jobim. Her perfectionism made her difficult to work with, but was undeniably the reason for the success she achieved. Her great ear for new composers, along with her impeccable interpretation helped launch the careers of many of the generation’s biggest stars, among them Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Tim Maia, João Bosco, and Adir Blanc. The title of Brazil’s sweetheart was not an easy one to maintain, however, especially in times of censorship, where artists are often targeted as insurgents. Asked about the political situation in Brazil in an interview in Holland in 1969, Elis stated that the country was being run by a “bunch of gorillas,” referring to the military dictatorship. She avoided arrest, due to her incredible popularity, but was coerced to perform the national anthem in the Military Olympics in 1972. The liberal elite criticized her for supporting the repressive regime, and she was publically shamed by political cartoonist Henfil, whose brother was an exiled sociologist. At the same time, she began to modernize her repertoire, and recorded songs by upcoming Tropicalia stars Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, who themselves were exiled to London after several arrests. To preserve her safety and that of her family, Elis chose to steer clear of politics, and instead focused on the celebration of her 10th anniversary with the recording agency Phillips. She was awarded with an album and she chose to collaborate with Tom Jobim for the entirety of the project. The recording of the album was not without conflict. Elis’s second husband, Cesar Camargo Mariano was the pianist and arranger for the album, and pushed for the use of electric instruments. Jobim disagreed, but was forced to bend to Mariano’s wished, as it was an Elis album, and he insisted it had to follow in the same aesthetic of her own music. With hits like “Águas de Março”, “Corcovado” and “Por Toda A Minha Vida” Elis & Tom became not only a critical and commercial success, but a classic of MPB. She would return to the political stage in 1979 with the anthem of the amnesty movement for political exiles “O Bebado e o Equilibrista.” Penned by her old friends João Bosco and Aldir Blanc, the lyrics referenced the struggle of balancing one’s political beliefs and staying hopeful about a better future for the country, while surviving in the dictatorship. Her support for the movement was crucial to the return of many exiled artists, intellectuals, and social activists. In the late 1970’s Elis toured the country with incredibly popular live shows, notably Falso Brilhante, Transversal do Tempo, Saudade do Brasil, and Trem Azul. However, Elis’s frustration with the music industry and the direction that popular Brazilian music was taking became more and more evident in the late stages of her career. New artists were emerging with their own unique sounds and styles, and she struggled to find where she would fit in this new environment. Her untimely death by overdose in 1982 was devastating to the nation, but her legacy as the greatest vocalist in Brazil still lives on today. It is understandable that all three of Elis’s children would be musically inclined, coming from two marriages to fellow musicians. João Marcello Bôscoli, the oldest, is a music producer and entrepreneur, and Pedro Camargo Mariano and Maria Rita also became vocalists. The latter, bearing an incredible likeness to Elis, inevitably suffered from comparisons to her late mother. This led to the decision not to sing the songs in her mother’s repertoire early on in her career. In an interview to Jô Soares in 2012, Maria confessed that the decision to sing was not an easy one, due to the expectations that had been placed on her from an early age. When asked what finally convinced her that she wanted to be a singer, she referenced French poet Rilke’s “Letters to a young poet” where he states that the artist must ask him or herself “Why must I write?” and that if they simply “must” write, the poem will be good, because it came from that visceral need to express one’s self. Having found her reason for pursuing a music career, Maria began singing in small venues in São Paulo and performing with friends. Before even releasing her self-titled album in 2003, she was awarded the Art Critics Association of São Paulo Trophy (Troféu APCA) for Best New Artist. Maria Rita was a huge success, scoring hits with “A Festa,” “Cara Valente,” and “Chegadas e Despedidas,” which became the theme song for a primetime novela. In 2004, she became the first Brazilian artist to receive a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist, also taking home awards for Best MPB album and Best Brazilian Song. The comparisons may not have ended there, but Maria had proven her own talent and unique style, which she would continue to explore in her now 8 studio albums. It was in her third album, “Samba Meu” that Maria seemed to find her musical sweet spot. The first album dedicated entirely to samba, was produced by Leandro Sapucahy, and featured compositions by Arlindo Cruz,Gonzaguinha, Luiz Cláudio Picolé, and Fred Camacho. Another Latin Grammy for Best Samba/Pagode album, and this time, a world tour that would last two and a half years, only coming to an end due to pressure for a new album release. In 2012, during the 30 year anniversary of Elis’s death, Maria and her brother João Marcello worked on a project entitled Viva Elis, a book project with stories told by her friends, and an accompanying 5 concert tour, all performed for free in public squares in major capitals. The project was so successful, that fans from across the country mobilized asking for a longer tour. Maria complied and released Redescobrir a live CD and DVD of her live performance. Although the project was emotionally straining for the artist, she would later say that it both brought her closer to her mother, and challenged her to become better at her craft. Last month Maria released her newest work Amor e Música, yet another ode to Samba music. She continues to prove herself as one of the best interpreters of a genre overwhelmingly dominated by men. Co-produced by Maria herself and Pretinho da Serrinha, the variety of songs highlights the range of styles she is able to interpret. From the romanticism of Arlindo Cruz in “Saudade Louca,” to the upbeat samba-reggae of Bahia in Carlinhos Brown’s "Cadê Obá," and even a nod to the Velha Guarda in Marcelo Camelo’s “Pra Maria.” She also has a chance to showcase her incredible rhythmic abilities in the syncopated “Samba & Swing,” a samba-jazz that was given to the singer as a present by the deceased composer Batatinha’s family. Finishing out the album are compositions by her husband Davi Moraes, Moraes Moreira, Zeca Pagodinho, and Fred Camacho. With the success of Amor & Música, Maria has solidified her place in Brazilian music and in the Samba scene. Now with even more agency over the productions of her album, she is one of few women who represents traditional Samba, but also resonates with younger audiences. Regardless of pressures and expectations, or perhaps because of, Maria Rita has found her voice and role in today’s musical landscape, and it was one we desperately needed.