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.

O rancho da goiabada
Elis Regina Lyrics

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Os bóias-frias
Quando tomam umas biritas
Espantando a tristeza
Sonham com bife a cavalo, batata-frita
E a sobremesa
É goiabada cascão,com muito queijo
Depois café, cigarro e um beijo
De uma mulata chamada Leonor ou Dagmar...

Amar
O rádio de pilha, o fogão Jacaré
A marmita, o domingo, o bar
Onde tantos iguais se reúnem contando mentiras
Pra poder suportar
Ai, são pais-de-santo, paus-de-arara,são passistas
São flagelados, são pingentes, balconistas
Palhaços,marcianos, anibais, lírios pirados

Dançando, dormindo de olhos abertos
À sombra da alegoria dos faraós embalsamados

Overall Meaning

The song "O rancho da goiabada" by Elis Regina tells the story of a group of workers, the "bóias-frias," who drink to forget their problems and dream of better days. They imagine themselves enjoying classic comfort foods like steak, fries, and goiabada (guava paste) with cheese for dessert. The song speaks to the plight of the working class, who seek solace in simple pleasures like food, radio, and the company of others. The lyrics also mention the importance of love and romance, as the workers long for the affection of women like Leonor and Dagmar.

Despite their struggles, the workers find a sense of community and resilience in their shared experiences. They gather at the local bar to swap stories and lies, finding comfort in each other's company. They also turn to cultural traditions like dance and religion to lift their spirits. The song portrays a world of contradictions, where everyday life is marked by hardship and joy, pain and pleasure, struggle and solidarity.

Overall, "O rancho da goiabada" paints a vivid picture of life for the working poor in Brazil. It captures the resilience and creativity of a community that manages to find moments of joy and connection in even the bleakest of circumstances.

Line by Line Meaning

Os bóias-frias
The laborers

Quando tomam umas biritas
When they drink alcohol

Espantando a tristeza
Trying to fight off sadness

Sonham com bife a cavalo, batata-frita
Dreaming of steak with fried potatoes

E a sobremesa
And for dessert

É goiabada cascão, com muito queijo
It's hard guava candy, with lots of cheese

Depois café, cigarro e um beijo
Then coffee, cigarette and a kiss

De uma mulata chamada Leonor ou Dagmar...
From a mulatto woman named Leonor or Dagmar...

Amar
To love

O rádio de pilha, o fogão Jacaré
The portable radio, the wood stove

A marmita, o domingo, o bar
The lunch box, the Sunday, the bar