Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945 – January 19, 1982), known professionally as Elis Regina (Brazilian Portuguese: [eˈliz ʁeˈʒinɐ]), was a Brazilian singer of Bossa nova, MPB and jazz music. She is also the mother of the singers Maria Rita and Pedro Mariano.[1]

Elis Regina
Regina in 1964
Born
Elis Regina Carvalho Costa

(1945-03-17)March 17, 1945
DiedJanuary 19, 1982(1982-01-19) (aged 36)
Other namesPimentinha, Furacão
OccupationSinger
Years active1961–1982
Spouses
(m. 1967⁠–⁠1972)
(m. 1973⁠–⁠1981)
Musical career
GenresMPB, Bossa nova
LabelsContinental, CBS, Philips
Websitewww.elisregina.com.br

She became nationally renowned in 1965 after singing "Arrastão" (composed by Edu Lobo and Vinícius de Moraes) in the first edition of TV Excelsior festival song contest and soon joined O Fino da Bossa, a television program on TV Record. She was noted for her vocalization as well as for her interpretation and performances in shows. Her recordings include "Como Nossos Pais" (Belchior), "Upa Neguinho" (E. Lobo and Gianfrancesco Guarnieri), "Madalena" (Ivan Lins), "Casa no Campo" (Zé Rodrix and Tavito), "Águas de março" (Tom Jobim), "Atrás da Porta" (Chico Buarque and Francis Hime), "O Bêbado e a Equilibrista" (Aldir Blanc and João Bosco), "Conversando no Bar" (Milton Nascimento).

Her death, at the age of 36, shocked Brazil.[2][3][4][5][6]

Biography

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Childhood home of Elis Regina, in Porto Alegre
 
Elis Regina in Teatro da Praia, 1969. National Archives of Brazil

Elis Regina was born in Porto Alegre, where she began her career as a singer at an early age on the children's radio show Clube de Guri.[7] In her early teens she signed a record contract and a couple years later traveled to Rio de Janeiro, where she recorded her first album.[7][2] She won her first festival song contest in 1965 singing "Arrastão" ("Pull the Trawling Net")[8] by Edu Lobo and Vinícius de Moraes, which made her the biggest selling Brazilian recording artist since Carmen Miranda. Her second album, Dois na Bossa with Jair Rodrigues, set a national sales record and became the first Brazilian album to sell over one million copies. "Arrastão" increased her popularity because the festival was broadcast via TV and radio. The record represented the beginning of música popular brasileira (Brazilian popular music) and contrasted with bossa nova. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she helped popularize tropicalismo with Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso. In 1970 she had her first son with first husband Ronaldo Bôscoli. Later on she had two more children with musician Cesar Camargo Mariano.

Regina was nicknamed "hurricane" and "little pepper".[7] She moved to Rio around the time Brazil was ruled by a military group.[7] Although her popularity protected her from reprisal when she criticized the regime while on tour in Europe, she was threatened with imprisonment unless she sang the Brazilian national anthem at an event honoring the anniversary of the coup.[7] In the 1970s she recorded the album Elis and Tom in Los Angeles with Antonio Carlos Jobim.[7] In 1982 she was starting her third marriage when she died from a combination of alcohol and cocaine at the age of thirty-six.[7]

Death

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On January 19, 1982, Regina died at the age of 36, from cardiac arrest, after consuming vermouth, cocaine and tranquilizers. More than 15,000 fans attended a musical wake in the Teatro Bandeirantes in São Paulo. She was buried in Cemitério do Morumbi.[9]

She was portrayed by Andréia Horta in the 2016 movie "Elis" directed by Hugo Prata.[10]

Studio albums

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Year Album
1961 Viva a Brotolândia
1962 Poema de Amor
1963 Ellis Regina
1963 O Bem do Amor
1965 Samba - Eu Canto Assim
1966 Elis
1969 Elis - Como e Porque
1969 Elis & Toots
1970 Em Pleno Verão
1971 Ela
1972 Elis
1973 Elis
1974 Elis & Tom (with Antônio Carlos Jobim)
1974 Elis
1976 Falso Brilhante
1977 Elis
1979 Essa Mulher
1980 Saudade do Brasil
1980 Elis

Live albums

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In life

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Year Album
1965 Dois na Bossa (with Jair Rodrigues)
1965 O Fino do Fino (with Zimbo Trio)
1966 Dois na Bossa nº 2 (with Jair Rodrigues)
1967 Dois na Bossa nº 3 (with Jair Rodrigues)
1970 Elis no Teatro da Praia
1978 Transversal do Tempo

Posthumous

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Year Album
1982 Montreux Jazz Festival
1982 Trem Azul
1984 Luz das Estrelas
1995 Elis ao Vivo
1998 Elis Vive
2012 Um Dia

Compilation albums

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Posthumous

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Year Album
2001 Sucessos Inesquecíveis de Elis Regina

References

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  1. ^ McGowan, Chris; Pessanha, Ricardo (1998). The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova, and the Popular Music of Brazil. Temple University Press. pp. 82–. ISBN 978-1-56639-545-8.
  2. ^ a b "Elis Regina (1945–1982)". Federative Republic of Brazil. Archived from the original on December 1, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2010. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Goés, 2007, p.187
  4. ^ Pugialli, 2006, p.170.
  5. ^ Silva, 2002, p.193.
  6. ^ Arashiro, 1995, p.39.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Dougan, John. "Elis Regina". AllMusic. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  8. ^ "Banco de Dados Folha - Acervo de Jornais". almanaque.folha.uol.com.br. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  9. ^ "Elis Regina foi vítima de overdose: como foram as últimas horas da cantora". Universo Online (in Portuguese). 2019.
  10. ^ "Elis". adorocinema.com. Retrieved March 29, 2020.

Further reading

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  • Arashiro, Osny. Elis Regina por ela mesma. M. Claret, 1995.
  • Echeverria, Regina (1985) Furacão Elis. Inclui cronologia e discografia por Maria Luiza Kfouri. Rio de Janeiro: Nórdica / Círculo do Livro. 363p. 2.ed. rev. ampl. 1994 (São Paulo: Ed. Globo); 3.ed. 2002 (São Paulo: Ed. Globo). 239p. ISBN 85-250-3514-9
  • Goés, Ludenbergue. Mulher brasileira em primeiro lugar: o exemplo e as lições de vida de 130 brasileiras consagradas no exterior. Ediouro Publicações, 2007. ISBN 85-00-01998-0
  • Kiechaloski, Zeca (1984) Elis Regina. Col. Esses Gaúchos. Porto Alegre: Tchê! 101p.
  • Pugialli, Ricardo. Almanaque da Jovem guarda: nos embalos de uma década cheia de brasa, mora?. Ediouro Publicações, 2006. ISBN 85-00-02073-3
  • Sarsano, José Roberto. (2005) Boulevard des Capucines. Teatro Olympia, Paris 1968: Elis Regina e Bossa Jazz Trio em uma época de ouro da MPB. Ed. Árvore da Terra. 207p. ISBN 85-85136-29-4
  • Silva, Walter. Vou te contar: histórias de música popular brasileira. Conex, 2002. ISBN 85-88953-05-6
  • Elis Regina Por Ela Mesma. (1995) Org. Osny Arashiro. São Paulo: Martin Claret. 2.ed. rev. 2004. 229p. ISBN 85-7232-085-7
  • O Melhor de Elis Regina. (2003) Melodias cifradas com as letras de 28 músicas do repertório de Elis Regina. Ed. Irmãos Vitale. 112p. ISBN 85-7407-088-2
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