My Swan Song

By Randy Paul of Beautiful Horizons

As Ezra returns tomorrow, I intend to make this my swan song and thank him for letting me fill in. I'm going to close with the immortal Elis Regina.

She could belt them out with the best of them. Here she is singing Belchior's Como Nossos Pais

Probably one of her greatest contributions to popular music in Brazil was championing young songwriters. One of her earliest was the brilliant composer Ivan Lins and his song Madalena. While I couldn't find a clip of her singing this song, I did find this clip of Ivan Lins singing the song with the excellent Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and João Bosco. Speaking of João Bosco, here is Elis singing his lovely Dois Pra la, Dois Pra Ca, although I've never understand that coda sung in Spanish.

Milton Nascimento is another songwriter she championed. here they are together singing Caxanga I hope you have all enjoyed these clips. I also hope that it's spurred some interest in Brazilian music and that you'll come visit my blog. Thanks Ezra e bem-vindo em casa!