Elza Soares' high octane interpretation of "Mas Que Nada". Live concert with Farofa Carioca, January 2009, at Estrela da Lapa, Rio de Janeiro.
An explosive samba singer with a gravelly lower range, Elza Soares - born June 23 , 1937 - came into the national spotlight in the early 1960s, just as Brazilian popular culture was making the transition from the staid pop-vocal remnants of the old "radio singers" samba cancao sound into the sleeker, more modern bossa nova style. Like many artists of the time, her own recordings incorporated both genres, adding a dynamic, bluesy-jazzy twist, with just a hint of rock'n'roll in there as well. Early on, her most distinctive trait was a growling, aggressive imitation of American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald's "scat" style, an homage that was later toned down, but crops up frequently in her career. Soares also explored soul and funk themes as these became popular in the late 1960s and early '70s.
( Slipcue.com )
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