Search - Elis Regina :: Como E Porque

BREATHTAKING AND ELECTRIFYING! An Essential Elis Regina Reco

RBSProds | Deep in the heart of Texas | 11/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Five MAXIMIZED Stars!! Brilliantly Arranged, Totally Overpowering Performances by Brazil's late SuperDiva!! Heck, just give it a Thousand Stars!! A vocal performance for the ages!! Elis Regina at her most powerful and affecting, 'uping the ante' on many songs she had previously recorded. The more I hear Elis Regina, the better she gets. I'm currently a third of the way through her discography (14 recordings) and she's positively unrelenting in her vocal art and excellence. Now I fully understand the tremendous sense of loss that the country of Brazil continues to experience a full two decades after her accidental death, why days after her death 100,000 grief-stricken Brazilians filled a soccer stadium to mourn her passing and sing her songs, and why her recordings continue to fly off the shelves. Like this brilliant recording, for example. It's mostly in beautiful, sensual Portuguese except for one song in French, but the words are almost besides the point of her incredible singing and ability to communicate through music.



The song "Aquarela Do Brasil" (Watercolors of Brazil) is excitingly re-cast with strings and an extra-sensitive Elis wringing every nuance from it, and adding the characteristic 'batacuda' "Nega Do Cabelo Duro" as the companion piece, with Elis adding "crickets" as her own integral sound effect. "O Sonho" (The Dream), also known in the USA as "MoonDreams", is a sizzling version that tops any that I have heard, including a stupendous English version. She multi-tracks her voice on Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte", creating fascinating echoes that have her eerily 'answering herself', and in the process she cuts the definitive version of this classic. "Canto De Ossanha" (Song of Ossanha- African diety) is an extention of the version on Elis' "Aquarela Do Brasil" CD, creating a greater sense of intensity and urgency that erupts on the bridge of the song. The French classic "Recit de Cassard" (Watch What Happens) from "The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg" movie, is sung in dead-on French in as good a version of this classic as you will ever hear, heavy with nuances and a great atmospheric orchestral arrangement. "Samba De Pergunta" (Question Samba) is plain and simply drop dead beautiful singing of a short, gentle samba. "Memorias De Marta Sare" demonstrates how she can unrelentingly drive both the song and her group to musical perfection. "O Barquinho" (The Little Boat) is a great funky afro-cuban version of that classic.



"Vera Cruz" is one 'Piece D'Resistance' that is an iNCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE of this Milton Nascimento classic. Using a perfect arrangement and a stunning orchestral performance (note the driving conga in the beginning and how the drummer savagely drives the orchestra using Art Blakey-like rim shots throughout), Elis takes the song through hairpin twists and turns, spinning nuances unseen before in any previous version, riding the crest of the orchestra's crescendo, charging and slowing down, charging again and then daringly bringing the orchestra to a full stop, only to restart the entire sequence again. One word: BREATHTAKING! She uses her voice the way she did on her first hit "Arrastao" (The Trawling Net), wringing incredible angst from the song and the arrangement in a way that places her squarely AMONG THE BEST FEMALE SINGERS OF ALL TIME, regardless of genre. Clearly one of her best performances ever and huge kudos to the orchestra and arrangements by Roberto Menescal. A MUST HAVE recording!



(Note:One wonders if the recording "Aquarela Do Brasil", with jazzman Toots Thielemans, came before or after this one. There are similar songs and arrangements shared between each, but Toots Thielemans is missing on this recording, giving Elis the lead all the way on those songs and adding some terrific new songs and performances. And she takes full advantage. Both recordings can be considered bookends to any comprehensive collection. Elis' sizzling, sultry ballad treatment of "O Barquinho" (The Little Boat) on the "Aquarela" CD is not to be missed, nor is "Corrida De Jangada" and "Voce". Buy both, there are huge differences in the songs and the performances)"

Hot Elis Regina with a swinging Trio!

Carlos from Rio | Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil | 05/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Always choosing the best musicians, Elis Regina had pianist Antonio Adolfo as the leader of the moment. This album includes Elis Regina's smash hit performance of a traditional samba titled "Nega do Cabelo Duro".



The ensemble is a piano-bass-drums trio.

A must-have album!"

What a wonderful sound...

reading man | 04/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Como and Porque (Here and Now) is transcendent, Ms. Regina providing a light, swinging, graceful rhythm that defies description. She creates a half-hour stream of consciousness overflowing with an absolute joy of life, a colorful panorama of vibrant hues and tones, from the touching ballad "Samba Da Pergunta" to the dark, driving undertone of her "Vai, Vai, Vai" chant in "Canto De Ossanha", and playful handling of "Giro". She is pure and compelling; she makes each song, no matter how often done by others, hers and hers alone. I have no musical training. I just like certain music, and attempt to convey a sense of structure and style that will inform, but her universal appeal requires no analysis. This is my first experience with Elis Regina, and I could not have started in a better place."