#OnRepeat: Elis Regina & Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Inutil Paisagem"

This week for #OnRepeat, I have to talk about Elis Regina and Antonio Carlos Jobim's version of "Inutil Paisagem". Elis Regina is a singer and performer from Brazil who became famous within the genre of MPB, or Música Popular Brasileira, because of her style of singing and performance. During the 1970s, Elis Regina recorded the album, Elis & Tom, with Antonio Carlos Jobim--of which the song, "Inutil Paisagem", is a part--and is considered one of the best pop Brazilian music recordings.

I would highly recommend (for any singers out there) heading over to YouTube and watching some of Regina's live performances. How she conveys the message in each song, her use of body language, facial expression, and her choices of vocalization in different pieces exemplify why Regina is such an intriguing performer to watch, even almost thirty years after her death. She is a household name in Brazil and every musician that I have come across has either heard of her or heard a song that she performed ( and they didn't even know it). Some of her most memorable songs are "Aguas de Março (Waters of March)," "Modinha," and "Corcovado".

Tom and Elis' version of "Inutil Paisagem" is one of my favorites not only because of the lyrics and melody, but simply because of the fact that it is just voice and piano. A lot of Latin music that I have been listening to (and performing) lately have arrangements with big ensembles or a five-piece band, so it is a nice change for the ear, when you hear simple arrangements. The words and the melody are profound enough--and what Jobim does on the piano adds texture and color to Regina's vocal melodic  line--that it doesn't need more than that. The words are filled with lament; it is unclear if the words are about not caring about the beautiful landscape because of lost love, or if the words are saying how useless the beauty of everything is around them if they were to lose that love. Either way, the song is beautiful.

I hope this song inspires you to listen to more of Elis Regina's music. She continues to inspire musicians to this day with her unique, heartfelt performances and expressive singing style. 

If you have any new musicians or groups that you've been listening to #OnRepeat lately, let us know in the comments below!