Rifftides reader Larry Peterson suggested that while two days of March remain, it would be a good idea to revisit an Antonio Carlos Jobim classic. It is, of course, “Ãguas de Marco.†March is the rainiest time of year in Rio de Janeiro. Jobim fashioned the progress of the music and the Portuguese lyric to suggest the storm waters’ relentless flow toward the sea. The words, in Portuguese and in his English version, constitute a paen to “the promise of life.†A 2001 poll of Brazilian musicians and journalists concluded that it was the best of all Brazilian songs.
Jobim performed “The Waters of March†often with his friend the nonpareil singer Elis Regina. This 1974 version from a television show has attracted 2,155,406 YouTube viewers. No wonder.
To see Jobim’s lyrics in Portuguese and English—side by side—click here.