The tune

Ela é Carioca is a bossa nova tune composed in 1963 by Antônio Carlos Jobim, with Portuguese lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes and English lyrics by Ray Gilbert. The first recording was by Os Cariocas in 1963, and Jobim himself later recorded it for his 1965 album The Wonderful World of Antônio Carlos Jobim. The song, sometimes titled He’s a Carioca, celebrates a young woman from Rio de Janeiro and is often described as a cheerful sequel to The Girl from Ipanema. It has been widely covered by artists including Astrud Gilberto and Ella Fitzgerald, and remains a staple of the bossa nova repertoire. The tune was also used as the title of a 2005 documentary about Jobim’s love for Rio de Janeiro.

What the song is about

The lyrics are about a young woman of Rio de Janeiro, and the song is a joyful sequel to The Girl from Ipanema, the earlier composition by Jobim and Moraes. Vinícius de Moraes wrote the Portuguese lyrics and Ray Gilbert the English ones, while Antônio Carlos Jobim composed the music. Os Cariocas recorded it first in 1963, and Jobim later recorded it himself for his 1965 album The Wonderful World of Antônio Carlos Jobim. Described as a cheerful sequel, it celebrates the young woman from Rio de Janeiro, the carioca of the title.