One of the most notable and covered songs in Latin-American music is “Gracias a La Vida” by Chilean folk singer Violeta Parra. Though the song, whose lyrics celebrate life and love and was released some months before Violeta’s suicide in 1967, gained fame on the composer’s own interpretation, its covers by singers like Mercedes Sosa, Joan Baez and Elis Regina became much more famous. Besides, the song still catches the eye, I mean, the ears of artists like Mia Doi Todd.
I have the impression that this is the only overcoat that Mercedes Sosa wore on her entire life. Ironically she was not buried with it.
Mercedes Sosa cover of the song is entirely based on acoustic guitar and the singer’s crystalline voice which echoes in a sad tone throughtout the melody, increasing its contrast with the peaceful joy of the verses.
Mercedes Sosa – “Gracias a La Vida” (from Homenaje a Violeta Parra album)
Seems that this was not a happy hippie day at the beach for Joan Baez and her guitar.
When American singer Joan Baez introduced in 1974 a more vivacious arrangement based on percussion and different types of guitars, she not only left off the earlier sadness but also enlightened and highlighted the song’s Andean origin.
Joan Baez – “Gracias a La Vida (Here’s To Life)” (from Gracias a la Vida album)
I can't say anything funny about Elis Regina, she was perfect. Her daughter, on the other hand...
Legendary Brazilian singer Elis Regina gave to the song a very particular light: relying on the original sadness, she sings it with the strong mourn and grief of a powerful spanish chantress over a melody that borrows from both Brazillian’s country roots and Latin laments.
Elis Regina – “Gracias a La Vida” (from Falso Brilhante album)
The oh-so-beautiful hippie Mia Doi Todd: not to be mistaken with Joan Baez's hippieness.
On her latest album, which is heavily based on Latin and Brazilian music, American singer Mia Doi Todd restores the song’s quiet essence basing its melody on a subtle percussion and melancholic guitar chords, thus leaving all the remaining space to her enchanting, mysterious and warm voice – it’s also the only one among these four versions to introduce a brief interlude where a serene synthesizer flows calmly.
Mia Doi Todd – “Gracias a La Vida” (from Cosmic Ocean Ship album)
Your considerations provide a sense almost commensurate to that embedded into the lyrics and artists’ performances. It however seems to me that this tends to decrease by the time as you revealed in chronologic order, from its delicate and sensational content as conveyed by Mercedes Sosa and Joan Baez toward to the others appearing later on. Still, I would like to thank you for allowing me to observe the progression from good old times until present commercial-laden appearances…