Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul… Read Full Bio ↴Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil – January 19, 1982, São Paulo, Brazil), better known as Elis Regina, was a Brazilian singer and one of the biggest names of MPB. Known for her vocal competence, musicianship and stage presence, she was acclaimed both in Brazil and internationally.

In the '60s, Elis was a leader and a standard-bearer in defense of Brazilian popular music, heavily contributing to the formation of the MPB label, with commercial and ideological characteristics at the same time. She was the first major artist to emerge from music festivals in the 1960s and detached herself from the Bossa Nova aesthetic through the use of her vocal range and drama. Initially, her style was influenced by radio singers, especially Ângela Maria. After four unsuccessful studio albums — Viva a Brotolândia (1961), Poema de Amor (1962), Elis Regina (1963), O Bem do Amor (1963) — Elis was the biggest revelation of the TV Excelsior festival in 1965, when he sang "Arrastão" by Vinícius de Moraes and Edu Lobo. This feat would guarantee him the invitation to act on television and, shortly afterwards, the title of first star of Brazilian popular song, when he started to command, alongside Jair Rodrigues, one of the two most important Brazilian popular music programs, O Fino da bossa. In 1967, she married Ronaldo Bôscoli, then director of O Fino da Bossa. From 1972, Elis began a relationship with César Camargo Mariano, which would last until 1981, in one of the most successful partnerships in Brazilian Popular Music.

She sang many genres: MPB, bossa nova, samba, rock and jazz. Interpreting songs like "Madalena", "Águas de Março", "Atrás da Porta", "Como Nosso Pais", "O Bêbado e a Equilibrista" and "Querellas do Brasil", he recorded moments of happiness, love, sadness and patriotism. Throughout his career, he stood out for also singing songs by artists, still little known, such as Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Belchior, Renato Teixeira, Aldir Blanc, João Bosco, helping to launch them and publicize their works. , boosting them in the Brazilian music scene. Among other partnerships, the duets she had with Jair Rodrigues, Tom Jobim and Rita Lee are famous. With her second husband, pianist César Camargo Mariano, she consecrated a long work of great creativity and musical consistency and, in technical terms, was considered the best brazilian singer. His most memorable artistic presence is perhaps registered on the albums Em Pleno Verão (1970), Elis (1972), Elis (1973), Elis & Tom (1974), Elis (1974), Falso Brilhante (1976), Transversal do Tempo (1978). ), Essa Mulher (1979), Saudade do Brasil (1980) and Elis (1980). She was the first person to inscribe her own voice as if it were an instrument, in the Order of Musicians of Brazil. In 2013, she was elected the best female voice in Brazilian music by Rolling Stone Magazine. Elis was also mentioned in the list of the greatest artists in Brazilian music, ranking 14th, being the best-placed woman. In November of the same year, a musical was premiered in honor of her Elis, the musical.

Elis Regina died prematurely at the age of 36, at the height of her career, causing strong commotion in the country and leaving a vast body of work in Brazilian popular music. Although there were controversies and disputes as to the cause of death, the tests showed that the cause was the consumption of cocaine associated with alcohol, which caused a cardiac arrest.

Madalena
Elis Regina Lyrics

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(Merci)

Ê, Madalena
O meu peito percebeu
Que o mar é uma gota
Comparado ao pranto meu

Eu, certo

Quando o nosso amor desperta
Logo o sol se desespera
E se esconde lá na serra

Ê, Madalena
O que é meu não se divide
Nem tão pouco se admite
Quem do nosso amor duvide

Até a lua
Se arrisca no palpite
Que o nosso amor existe
Forte ou fraco
Alegre ou triste

Ê, Madalena
O meu peito percebeu
Que o mar é uma gota
Comparado ao pranto meu

Eu, certo
Quando o nosso amor desperta
Logo o sol se desespera
E se esconde lá na serra

Ê Madalena
O que é meu não se divide
Nem tão pouco se admite
Quem do nosso amor duvide

Até a lua
Se arrisca num palpite
Que o nosso amor existe
Forte ou fraco
Alegre ou triste

Ê, ê, ê, Madalena
Madalena
Madalena
Madalena
Ê, Madalena
Ê, Madalena
Ê, Madalena, le-le-le-le, iê-iê, iê
Madalena
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-madalena
Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-madalena
Ma, ma-ma-da, ma-ma-da-le, Madale-le-le-na
Ma, ma-ma-da, ma-ma-da-le, Madale-le-le-le-le-na
Ma, ma-ma-da, ê, ma-ma-da-le, ê, Madale-le-le-na
Ma, ê, ma-ma-da, ê, ma-ma-da-le, ê Madale-le-le-na

Ma, ma-da, ma-da-le, Madale-le-le-le-le-na
Ma, ma-da, ma-da-le, Madale-le-le-le-le-na

Overall Meaning

The song "Madalena" by Elis Regina is a song about love and its power. Through its lyrics, the song speaks of a love that is so strong and powerful that not even the ocean compares to the singer's tears. The song is addressed to a woman named Madalena whom the singer is deeply in love with. The song tells of a love that is so strong that the sun hides when their love awakens, afraid of the intensity of their passion. The lyrics also speak of a love that is unbreakable, one that does not allow anyone to doubt its existence.

The lyrics of the song are simplistic, but the emotion behind them is deeply rooted. The singer's voice is rich and powerful, perfectly conveying the passion and intensity of the emotion being portrayed in the song. The melody is simple, yet powerful, and it complements the lyrics beautifully. The song takes the listener on a journey of emotion, evoking powerful feelings of love and devotion.

Overall, "Madalena" is a beautiful, heartfelt song about the power of love. It is a song that speaks to the soul, evoking powerful emotions and taking the listener on a journey of love and devotion.

Line by Line Meaning

Ê, Madalena
Hey, Madalena

O meu peito percebeu
My heart realized

Que o mar é uma gota
That the sea is a drop

Comparado ao pranto meu
Compared to my tears

Eu, certo
I'm certain

Quando o nosso amor desperta
When our love awakens

Logo o sol se desespera
The sun gets desperate

E se esconde lá na serra
And hides behind the mountains

O que é meu não se divide
What's mine cannot be divided

Nem tão pouco se admite
Nor can it be doubted

Quem do nosso amor duvide
By anyone who doubts our love