Brazil's Eliane Elias Finds Her Voice

Eliane Elias is known for her distinct musical style, which blends
her Brazilian roots with her impressive jazz and classical skills.
Born in São Paulo, Elias' musical talents began to show at an
early age. She started studying piano at age seven. At age 17,
she was working with Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes.

David Wilson

Arguably Brazil's best known female instrumentalist, Eliane Elias, will release her first full vocal CD, Dreamer, on May 4th, 2004. An artist of uncompromising skill and vision, Elias has been hailed "as a composer and soloist of growing conviction and individuality" (Los Angeles Times), "a fresh inventive performer" (Associated Press), "one of the most poetic young pianists in jazz" (Chicago Tribune), and "among the major jazz pianists of our times" (San Francisco Examiner).

Aside from Dreamer marking Elias's first full-vocal album, it's also her first full-English project as well as the first time she has recorded with a full orchestra. Elias will support her new CD with a select-date tour, which she'll kick off with a performance at The Hollywood Bowl, in Los Angeles, California, on July 21^st.

Elias is known for her distinct and recognizable musical style which blends her Brazilian roots with her impressive jazz and classical skills. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Eliane Elias' musical talents began to show at an early age.

She started studying piano at age seven and at age twelve was transcribing solos from the great jazz masters. By the time she was fifteen she was teaching piano and improvisation at Brazil's prestigious school of music, CLAM.

Her performing career began in Brazil at age 17, working with Brazilian singer/songwriter Toquinho and the great poet Vinicius de Moraes who was also Antonio Carlos Jobim's co-writer/lyricist.

Considered one of the great interpreters of Jobim, Elias has been featured on numerous Jobim concert tributes and has recorded two albums dedicated to the works of the composer, Plays Jobim and Sings Jobim.

Dreamer is a lush mix of classic bossa nova and American songbook as well as two exciting originals. Paying homage to classic American music, such as "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" and Johnny Mercer's "Tangerine", Elias returns to her roots with covers of such well known bossa novas as "So Nice" ("Samba de Verão") and an upbeat version of "Doralice"—in which Elias pays tribute to saxophonist Stan Getz, who recorded the song with João Gilberto.

Elias was featured in the Thelonious Monk Institute's televised Second Annual "Celebration of America's Music" at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the JVC Festival with Sting, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and Caetano Veloso at Lincoln Center in New York, the televised Piano Grand, a Gala celebration for the 300th Anniversary of the piano in Washington DC.

The Brazilian musician makes her home, with her husband and daughter, in New York City.

---

The Lyrics

Doralice

Doralice eu bem que lhe disse
Amar é tolice
É bobagem, ilusão
Eu prefiro viver tão sozinho
Ao som do lamento do meu violão

Doralice eu bem que lhe disse
Olha essa embrulhada
Em que vou me meter
Agora amor, Doralice meu bem
Como é que nós vamos fazer?

Um belo dia você me surgiu
Eu quis fugir mas você insitiu
Alguma coisa bem que andava me avisando
Até parece que eu estava advinhando

Eu bem que não queria me casar contigo
Bem que não queria enfrentar
esse perigo Doralice
Agora você tem que me dizer
Como é que nós vamos fazer?

---

Doralice, I told you well
To love is foolishness
Its nonsense, illusion
I prefer to live so alone
to the sound of the lament of my guitar

Doralice, I told you well
Look this confusion
in which you put me
Now love, Doralice my sweet
What are we going to do?

A pretty day you appeared to me
I wanted to run away but you insisted
Something good that will wander advising me
Until it appears that I am advising

I very much don't want to get married
Very much don't want to confront
this danger Doralice
Now you have to tell me
What are we going to do?

---

Summer Samba (So Nice)

Someone to hold me tight
That would be very nice
Someone to love me right
That would be very nice
Someone to understand
Each little dream in me
Someone to take my hand
And be a team with me

So nice, life would be so nice
If one day I'd find
Someone who would take my hand
And samba through life with me

Someone to cling to me
Stay with me right or wrong
Someone to sing to me
Some little samba song
Someone to take my heart
And give his heart to me
Someone who's ready to
Give love a start with me

Oh yeah, that would be so nice
I could see you and me, that would be nice
Someone to hold me tight
That would be very nice

Someone to love me right
That would be very nice
Someone to understand
Each little dream in me
Someone to take my hand
To be a team with me
So nice, life would be so nice
If one day I'd find
Someone who would take my hand
And samba through life with me

Someone to cling to me
Stay with me right or wrong
Someone to sing to me
Some little samba song
Someone to take my heart
And give his heart to me
Someone who's ready to
Give love a start with me

Oh yes, that would be so nice
Shouldn't we, you and me?
I can see it will be nice...

David Wilson is Director of Publicity at Oui 2 Public Relations in New York. He can be contacted at david@oui2.com