Elis Regina

About

Elis Regina is one of the most respected female vocalists in Brazil's storied musical history. With a fiery personality and relentless perfectionism in her craft, stories frame her as a sometimes polarizing figure, but an undeniably talented and passionate one as well. Regina was born in 1945, in Porto Alegre, where she began singing at the age of 11. Dois na Bossa, her second album, became the first Brazilian LP to sell a million copies, thereby making her a legitimate star by 1965. Her style usually tended to fall within the borders of bossa nova, although she could adapt to a variety of styles thanks to the pureness and versatility found in her voice. By the early 1970s, she was working with some of Brazil's most popular musicians and songwriters, which she would continue to do right up until her untimely death from substance abuse in 1982.