"Ela é Carioca" ("She’s a Carioca") is a bossa nova song composed in 1963 by Antônio Carlos Jobim, with Portuguese lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes. English lyrics were written by Ray Gilbert. The song is sometimes titled "Ele é Carioca (He’s a Carioca)."
"Carioca" is a Brazilian term for someone from or something related to Rio de Janeiro.
John Bush at AllMusic calls the song "a cheerful sequel to 'The Girl From Ipanema,AllMusic - The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim'" which was also written by Jobim and Moraes, and features lyrics about a young woman from Rio.
The song was used as the name of a 2005 documentary film about "Jobim's love for Rio de Janeiro and the influence it had on his music" - Tom Jobim: She’s a Carioca.
The first recording of the song was by Os Cariocas in 1963.SecondHandSongs - Ela é Carioca Antônio Carlos Jobim recorded it for his 1965 album, The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Recorded Versions Os Cariocas - Mais Bossa Com Os Cariocas (1963 Rosinha de Valença – Apresentando (1963) Marcos Valle - Samba "Demais" (1963) Eumir Deodato - Inútil Paisagem - As Maiores Composições de Antonio Carlos Jobim (1964) Sergio Mendes & Bossa Rio – Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada! (1964) Paul Winter, w/ Luiz Bonfa, Roberto Menescal & Luiz Eça – Rio (1964) Milton Banana – Milton Banana Trio (1965) Antônio Carlos Jobim - The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim (1965) Sergio Mendes Trio, with Wanda de Sah & Rosinha de Valença – Brasil '65 (1965) Astrud Gilberto – Look to the Rainbow (1966) Buddy Greco – Away, We Go! (1966) Herbie Mann – New Mann at Newport (1967) Stanley Turrentine – A Bluish Bag (rec. 1967, released 2007) Walter Wanderley - Batucada (1967) João Gilberto – João Gilberto en México (1970) Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Abraça Jobim (1981) – as "He’s a Carioca (Ele é Carioca)" Eliane Elias - Eliane Elias Sings Jobim (1998) João Donato – Só danço samba (1999) Quarteto Jobim Morelenbaum - Quarteto Jobim Morelenbaum (2000)
References