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.

Vida De Bailarina
Elis Regina Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Quem descerrar a cortina
Da vida da bailarina
Há de ver cheio de horror
Que no fundo do seu peito
Abriga um sonho desfeito
Ou a desgraça de um amor
Os que compram o desejo
Pagando amor a varejo

Vão falando sem saber
Que ela é forçada a enganar

Não vivendo pra dançar
Mas dançando pra viver

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Elis Regina's song Vida De Bailarina highlight the dark side of the life of a dancer. The first line, "Quem descerrar a cortina" (Who draws back the curtain), sets the stage for the revealing of a harsh truth. The singer goes on to explain that behind the beauty and grace of a dancer lies a world of horror. The life of a dancer is not just about fulfilling a passion for art but also about having to give up on dreams or experiencing the tragedy of a broken relationship.

The lyrics tell us that some people buy into the idea of a dancer's lifestyle without realizing the truth behind it. "Os que compram o desejo" (those who buy into the desire) are paying for love but don't know the true price of it. They don't realize that dancers are often forced into deception to keep up the façade of their perfect lives. They aren't living to dance, rather, they are dancing to live.

The powerful lyrics of Vida De Bailarina remind us that there is often more than meets the eye when it comes to the world of entertainment. It sheds light on the harsh reality behind what we think is just a glamorous profession.

Line by Line Meaning

Quem descerrar a cortina
Anyone who uncovers the curtain

Da vida da bailarina
Of the life of a ballerina

Há de ver cheio de horror
Will see full of horror

Que no fundo do seu peito
That deep down in her heart

Abriga um sonho desfeito
She harbors a shattered dream

Ou a desgraça de um amor
Or the misfortune of a love

Os que compram o desejo
Those who buy desire

Pagando amor a varejo
Paying love by retail

Vão falando sem saber
Keep talking without knowing

Que ela é forçada a enganar
That she is forced to deceive

Não vivendo pra dançar
Not living to dance