Feb 14, 2017

RhoDeo 1707 Roots

Hello,

The music of Brazil encompasses various regional music styles influenced by African, European and Amerindian forms. After 500 years of history, Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba, bossa nova, MPB, sertanejo, pagode, tropicalia, choro, maracatu, embolada (coco de repente), mangue bit, funk carioca (in Brazil simply known as Funk), frevo, forró, axé, brega, lambada, and Brazilian versions of foreign musical genres, such as Brazilian rock and rap.


Today's artist became popular with the songs Se Acaso Você Chegasse, her first single, Mas Que Nada, A Carne, and other well-known samba songs. She was nominated to the Grammy Awards and was elected by the BBC London as "the singer of the millennium." In 2007, Soares was invited to sing a cappella the Brazilian National Anthem at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Panamerican Games. In 2016, she performed at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she sang O Canto de Ossanha, a classic by Baden Powell and Vinícius de Moraes......N'Joy

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Owner of a distinctive, harsh voice (even if considering the conspicuous Armstrong mannerisms), Elza Soares is one of the most swinging samba singers. Having appeared in 1959 with the samba "Se Acaso Você Chegasse," Soares always had her artistic career complicated by her personal life, which certainly impeded her enjoyment of a more widespread popularity. Having gotten married at 12 and lost three children who died of hunger, she later became the wife of Garrincha, one of the most genial soccer players ever, and also a chronic alcoholic. The peak of her career was in the '60s, with albums like O Máximo em Samba (1967), Elza Soares & Wilson das Neves (1968), and Elza, Miltinho e Samba (a three-album series shared with Miltinho). In that decade she had several hits, among them "Boato," "Edmundo" (a version of "In the Mood"), "Beija-me," "Devagar Com a Louça," "Mulata Assanhada," "O Mundo Encantado de Monteiro Lobato," "Bahia de Todos os Deuses," "Palmas no Portão," and "Palhaçada." In the '70s, she had further success with "Salve a Mocidade" (1974) and "Malandro" (1977; this song launched Jorge Aragão as a composer). But it wasn't enough to prevent her from facing huge economical adversity, and at the same time she was being systematically turned away by recording companies. With Garrincha, Soares had a very troubled marriage and the untimely demise of their son Garrinchinha in 1986 in a car accident didn't help.

Living in extreme poverty throughout her childhood and teens, Soares had her first audition in radio at Ary Barroso's novice show when she was 16, winning first place. She was then hired as a crooner by the Orquestra Garam de Bailes (led by conductor Joaquim Naegli). She worked in the orchestra until 1954, when she became pregnant. In 1955, she was invited to star with Grande Otelo in the play Jour-Jou-Fru-Fru, which was a smash. Three years later, she toured Argentina, returning in the next year when she was hired by Rádio Vera Cruz. Also in 1959, she recorded a 78 rpm with "Se Acaso Você Chegasse" (Lupício Rodrigues/Felisberto Martins), one of her biggest hits. In 1960, she went to São Paulo where she performed regularly in the show I Festival Nacional de Bossa Nova and recorded her first LP, Se Acaso Você Chegasse. In 1962, she represented Brazil in Chile during the World Soccer Cup, where she met Garrincha.

Having recorded several albums with the hits "Só Danço Samba" (Tom Jobim/Vinícius de Moraes), "A Banca do Distinto" (Billy Blanco), "Pressentimento" (Elton Medeiros/Hermínio Bello de Carvalho), and "Princesa Isabel" (Sérgio Ricardo), she moved to Italy in 1969, where she performed at the Sistina Theater (Rome), returning to Brazil in 1972. In the same year, she opened the show Elza em Dia de Graça at the Opinião Theater (Rio) and participated in the Brasil Export Show (Canecão). Rediscovered in the '80s as a cult heroine by Os Titãs, she performed with the band in a regular show at the Madame Satã nightclub.

Trying unsuccessfully to develop a career abroad, she returned to Brazil in 1994, poor and depressed. Finally, she was rediscovered in the '80s by the younger generations of Brazilian rockers (Os Titãs, Lobão) and MPB artists like Caetano Veloso, having been awarded with a Sharp Prize award as the Best Samba Singer of 1997. Soares also recorded in duet with Caetano Veloso on his album, Velô, and with Lobão on Casa de Samba. With her Trajetória (1997), in which she was paid tribute by Zeca Pagodinho, she won the Prêmio Sharp Award as Best Samba Singer.Her life was depicted in the musical Crioula, which had several songs written specially for her by Chico Buarque, Chico César, Nei Lopes, and others.  In November 1999, Soares participated in the show Desde Que o Samba é Samba (at Royal Albert Hall, London, England), together with Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and Virginia Rodrigues. In 2000, her life was depicted in the musical Crioula (by Stella Miranda). In 2000, she was appointed Singer of the Millennium by London's BBC. Soares continues to challenge her destiny, performing shows in every venue available.

Do Cóccix Até O Pescoço In 2002, she released the acclaimed Do Cóccix Até O Pescoço on Maianga Discos, which successfully wedded samba, bossa, and MPB with electronic sounds. Produced and recorded by Alê Siqueira, it featured an enormous cast of guest musicians under the direction of pianist Jose Miguel Wisnik, including Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, and Carlinhos Brown. It sold well internationally and received a Grammy nomination. Vivo Feliz followed on Tratore in 2004 and contained the singles "Rio de Janiero" and a reading of "Concordia" by Nando Reis, featuring the songwriter in a duet. Working again with Wisnik, she released the live Beba-Me Ao Vivo and a concert DVD with the same title in 2007.

Though Soares continued to perform, she took an extended break from recording. A year later she was the featured vocalist on the soundtrack of the film Chega de Saudade. She fell from the stage during a performance and required numerous spinal column surgeries. It slowed her down and forced her to perform in a chair, but she never stopped. In 2015, she re-entered the studio with with producer Guilherme Kastrup of São Paulo’s groundbreaking samba sujo scene. She didn't like his idea of recording a set of classic sambas in modern settings and instead insisted on creating entirely original new material -- a first in her long career. He hired the city's vanguard post-punk band Passo Torto (with Metá Metá's Kiko Dinucci) and several players from Bixiga 70. A Mulher Do Fim Do Mundo, a collection of 11 songs (culled from over 50), focuses on the achievement of justice for women, people of color, and members of the LGBT community -- causes she had celebrated throughout her life. Issued in Brazil in October by Circus Produções Culturais, it was celebrated in the national press as the year's best album by a national artist, regardless of genre. Due to global acclaim, it was re-released internationally by Mais Um Discos in June of 2016.


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Here, the makeover into a roots-samba diva is complete and quite convincing... Soares gets slinky and soulful, with some wonderful, utterly authentic batucada percussion woven in throughout the record. This is really fine stuff, right up there with Clara's best work. Elza keeps the pace up, and the band (wish they were credited!) is totally solid. Also, no egregious dips into pop or romantic schmaltz, just solid samba from end to end. Highly recommended!
She still imitating Clara here, and at last the pop side asserts itself, with a more pronounced soul style emerging in the mix... Saxophonist Paulo Moura plays assists with the arrangements, and much of this record feels a bit like Gonzaguinha's samba-MPB work of the time. Some of it's a bit cloying, but for the most part this is another fine album. Also, her vocal phrasing really seems to have stretched out, and her softer passages work much better than before. Worth checking out!




Elza Soares - Nos Braços do Samba , Lição de Vida (flac  458mb)

01 Primeiro Eu
02 Nem Vem
03 Viagem De Jangada
04 Quem É Bom Já Nasce Feito
05 Debruçado Em Meu Olhar
06 Confesso Que Chorei
07 Lendas E Festas Das Yabás
08 Nos Braços Do Samba
09 Auera
10 Saudade Da Minha Inimiga
11 Deixa Pra Deus Resolver
12 Cansada De Esperar
Lição de Vida
13 Malandro
14 Cipriano
15 Lição de vida
16 Pinta e borda
17 Rainha dos sete mares
18 A rosa
19 Curumbandê
20 Nó na tristeza
21 Deus e viola
22 Estou com raiva de você
23 Samba, minha raiz
24 Sal e pimenta - Mulata assanhada - Beija-me

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With her career getting more and more erratic, Elza Soares moves further away from the sambajazz and embraces the high party in Pilão + Raça = Elza., Disc in which she says goodbye to the Tapecar. Without leaving any success, the album brings three compositions of Elza, two of them in partnership with the producer Gerson Alves, The samba-song Enredo de Pirraça is the highlight.  and another one of Jorge Aragão (Forgiveness love).



Elza Soares - Pilão+Raça=Elza , Voltei   (flac  480mb)

01 Língua de pilão
02 Enredo de pirraça
03 Aldeia de Okarimbé
04 Sombra confidente
05 Perdão Vila Isabel
06 Perdão amor
07 De pandeiro na mão
08 Só tem um jeito agora
09 Amor aventureiro
10 Compositor
11 Prezado amigo
12 Só uma lágrima
Voltei
13 Pot-pourri-Voltei-Bom-dia Portela-Malandro
14 Doce acalanto
15 Amor sublime
16 Plenitude
17 Erê
18 Lá vem você
19 Sem ilusão
20 Ânsia louca
21 Coisa da gente
22 Nesse trem

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These last weeks i've posted Negra the stunning, definitive CD box set that gathers nearly all of Soares' albums from 1961 to 2003, including an added disc of rarities and singles. The albums are combined, two on each disc, including A Bossa Negra (1961), O Samba E Elza Soares (1961), Sambossa (1963), Na Roda De Samba (1964), Um Show De Elza (1965), Com A Bola Branca (1966), O Maximo Em Samba (1967), Elza, Miltinho E Samba (1967), Baterista: Wilson Das Neves (1968), Elza, Miltinho E Samba, v.2 (1968), Elza, Carnaval E Samba (1969), Elza, Miltinho E Samba, v.3 (1969), Sambas E Mais Sambas (1970), Pede Passagem (1972), Sangue, Suor E Raca (1972), Elza Soares (1973), Elza Soares (1974), Nos Brancos Do Samba (1975), Licao De Vida (1976), Pilao + Raca = Elza (1977), Voltei (1988), and the rarities disc Sambas e Mais Sambas Vol. 2.Tracks released only on singles, and on special projects, between 1968-1977. If you really want to check out her ouvre, this is your best shot.



Elza Soares - Sambas e Mais Sambas Vol. 2 (flac 412mb)

01 Bloco de sujo.flac
02 Dá licença.flac
03 A flor e o samba.flac
04 Lendas e mistérios da Amazònia.flac
05 Pro que der e vier.flac
06 Vida.flac
07 Grade do amor.flac
08 Rainha de roda.flac
09 Lendas do Abaeté.flac
10 Já era.flac
11 Rio Zé Pereira.flac
12 Acorda Portela.flac
13 Se eu jurei.flac
14 Mangueira em tempo de folclore.flac
15 Maledicência.flac
16 A festa do divino.flac
17 Do jeito que o rei mandou.flac
18 A grande verdade.flac
19 Capital do tempo.flac
20 Pr´o esporte.flac
21 Mangueira, minha alegria.flac
22 Vale ouro.flac

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2 comments:

  1. Dear Rho –


    I'd appreciate a re-up of these ELZA SOARES albums.


    Muito obrigado in advance – also for curating your wonderful blog!


    Best
    Frank

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks so much!
    Muito obrigado!
    Frank

    ReplyDelete