Dinner Music: Elia y Elizabeth
easy, breezy seventies pop laced with bossa, funk and just a touch of the Beatles
Elia y Elizabeth was a musical duo formed by two sisters from Bogotá, Colombia in the seventies. The sisters hailed from a family of musicians, from their father to aunts to grandfather, and had much encouragement to pursue their own from an early age. The two performed on a televised musical homage to their grandfather and were subsequently invited by a record producer to record a few singles. They achieved a bit of fame in Colombia, performing all over the country and recording two albums. However, the two quickly became disenfranchised with the music industry and ended their pop career after only two years. Though they were no longer performing together, the sisters carried on their parallel career paths — they both became teachers.
The Original Recordings is a compilation of the two albums the sisters recorded in the seventies. The album was released in 2021, unleashing the remastered tracks into the digital space and to new listeners for the first time since they were originally recorded. A mixture of songs from Elia and other songwriters, each track takes a slightly different take on soft-pop + [insert genre here]. Alegria has clear funk influence, particularly with the groove bass-line and rhythmic keys. Both of the sisters picked up guitar by mimicking the style of the Beatles, which clearly shows up on Descripcion with its sixties style guitar and backing vocals. This is easy listening at its finest.
Enjoy.
The Original Recordings - Elia y Elizabeth:
Pair this album with:
Meinklang Gruner Veltliner. This is one of my favorite white wine varietals, behind only Chenin Blanc. It’s super bright and just a tiny bit creamy with notes of green fruits. A great wine to pair with super savory foods and hot weather.
Pork and Avocado Stuffed Arepas. I couldn’t talk about Colombia and not recommend making arepas. Arepas are way easier to make than you think. A perfect little weekend project.
Thank you, thank you. Have a great weekend.