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From album
Elis & Tom
Elis Regina · 1974
Details
Duración3:32
ÁlbumElis & Tom
Año1974
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The story behind
The essence of *Águas de Março* lies in its constant flow, a sonic metaphor for life itself, with its beginnings and endings, its small obstacles, and the inevitable march of time. The inspiration for this piece, born in March, the rainiest month in Rio de Janeiro, is manifested in its musical structure. The torrential rains and strong winds that flood the city carry all sorts of elements with them: sticks, stones, pieces of glass. This image is transferred to the song, with a continuous descending progression, like water flowing through sewers, carrying a torrent of everyday sensations and observations. The original composition, by Tom Jobim, was conceived on his property in Poço Fundo, while he was working on another piece, *Matita Perê*. The first verses, "é pau, é pedra, é o fim do caminho" (it's a stick, it's a stone, it's the end of the road), reflect that sense of closure and the beginning of something new, an idea that unfolds throughout the piece.
This song had several lives and forms. It was initially released in a short format alongside João Bosco, but it was on the album *Elis* by Elis Regina, in 1972, that it gained significant momentum. Later, it was included in Jobim's work, *Matita Perê*, and in 1974, the duet version with Elis Regina, included in the LP *Elis & Tom*, became a milestone. The recording sessions for this latter album, held in Los Angeles, California, in February and March 1974, featured the innovative arrangements of César Camargo Mariano, who introduced electric instruments into bossa nova, giving classics like *Águas de Março* a particular freshness. The song even transcended the musical realm, inspiring advertising campaigns in the 1980s for Coca-Cola and, in the 90s, for the Ayala Center in the Philippines. In 2001, a survey among Brazilian journalists and artists named it the best song in Brazil of all time, and in 2009, it ranked second in a Rolling Stone magazine poll, surpassed only by Chico Buarque's *Construção*.