Veloso is the fifth of the seven children born to José Telles Veloso ("Seu Zezinho") and Claudionor Vianna Telles Veloso ("Dona Canô"). His younger sister Maria Bethânia, another popular and renowned artist in Brazil, preceded him to fame as a singer in the mid-1960s. He began his career around 1965 singing bossa nova and he has cited his greatest musical influences from his early period as João Gilberto and Dorival Caymmi. (João Gilberto would say later about Caetano's contribution that it added an intellectual dimension to brazilian popular music.) But with such musical collaborators Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, Chico Buarque, and Os Mutantes, and greatly influenced by the later work of The Beatles, developed tropicalismo, which fused Brazilian pop with rock and roll and avant garde art music resulting in a more international, psychedelic, and socially aware sound. Veloso's politically active stance, unapologetically leftist, earned him the enmity of Brazil's military dictatorship which ruled until 1985; his songs were frequently censored, and some were banned. Veloso was also alienated from the socialist left in Brazil becasue of his acceptance and integration of non-nationalist influences (like rock and roll) in his music. Veloso and Gilberto Gil spent several months in jail for "anti-government activity" in 1968 and eventually exiled themselves to London. Caetano Veloso's work upon his return in 1972 was often characterized by frequent appropriations not only of international styles, but of half-forgotten Brazilian folkloric styles and rhythms as well. In particular, his celebration of the Afro-Brazilian culture of Bahia can be seen as the precursor of such Afro-centric groups as Timbalada.
In the 1980s, Veloso's popularity outside Brazil grew, especially in Israel, Portugal, France and Africa. By 2004, he was one of the most respected and prolific international pop stars, with more than fifty recordings available, including songs in soundtracks of movies such as Pedro Almodovar's Hable con Ella (Talk to Her), and Frida. In 2002 Veloso published an account of his early years and the Tropicalia movement, Tropical Truth: A Story of Music and Revolution in Brazil.
His first all-English CD was A Foreign Sound (2004), which covers Nirvana's "Come as You Are" and compositions from the Great American Songbook. Five of the six songs on his third eponymous album, released in 1971, were also in English.
Bahia Com H
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dá licença, dá licença, pra yôyô
Eu sou amante da gostosa Bahía, porém
Pra saber seu segredo
Serei Baiano também
Dá licença, De gostar um pouquinho só
A Bahía eu não vou roubar, tem dó
Isso é velho e do tempo que a gente escrevia Bahía com H!
Deixa ver, com meus olhos
De amante saudoso
A Bahía do meu coração
Deixa ver, baixa do Sapateiro Charriou, Barroquinha
Calçada, Tabuão
Sou um amigo que volta feliz Pra teus braços abertos, Bahía!
Sou poeta e não quero ficar Assim longe da tua magia!
Deixa ver, teus sobrados, igrejas
Teus santos, ladeiras
E montes tal qual um postal
Dá licença de rezar pro Senhor do Bonfim
Salve! A Santa Bahía
imortal, Bahía dos sonhos mil!
Eu fico contente da vida
Em saber que Bahía é Brasil!
Salve! A Santa Bahía imortal, Bahía dos sonhos mil!
The lyrics to Caetano Veloso’s song “Bahia Com H” express the singer’s love for the state of Bahia in Brazil. In the first verse, he asks for permission from the Lord to love and be a part of Bahia. He acknowledges that he is not from there, but he wants to know the secret of the state so he can become a “Baiano” as well. In the second verse, he reassures that he doesn’t want to steal Bahia, he just wants to admire it. He references a poet who wrote about how beautiful Bahia is, and how they used to write it with an ‘H’ in the past.
The singer then asks to see Bahia through his nostalgic eyes. He mentions different places in Bahia that he remembers fondly such as Baixa do Sapateiro and Tabuão. He proclaims himself as a happy friend returning to the open arms of Bahia, and states that he is a poet who needs to be near the magic of Bahia. He asks to see more of Bahia, including the churches, hills, and the famous “Senhor do Bonfim” church. He concludes by exalting Bahia as immortal and full of dreams, and expresses his happiness in knowing that Bahia is a part of Brazil.
Overall, the lyrics to “Bahia com H” express a deep appreciation and love for the state of Bahia. Although the singer acknowledges that he is not from there, he longs to be a part of it and experience its beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
Dá licença, dá licença, meu Senhô
Excuse me, excuse me, my Lord
Dá licença, dá licença, pra yôyô
Excuse me, excuse me, for me
Eu sou amante da gostosa Bahía, porém
I'm a lover of the delicious Bahia, however
Pra saber seu segredo
To know its secret
Serei Baiano também
I'll be Bahian too
Dá licença, De gostar um pouquinho só
Excuse me, for liking it just a little bit
A Bahía eu não vou roubar, tem dó
I'm not going to steal Bahia, have mercy
Ah! Já disse um poeta Que terra mais linda não há
Ah! A poet already said, there's no land more beautiful
Isso é velho e do tempo que a gente escrevia Bahía com H!
That's old and from the time we wrote Bahia with an H!
Deixa ver, com meus olhos
Let me see, with my own eyes
De amante saudoso
As a lover who misses
A Bahía do meu coração
The Bahia of my heart
Deixa ver, baixa do Sapateiro Charriou, Barroquinha
Let me see, the lowlands of Sapateiro Charriou, Barroquinha
Calçada, Tabuão
Calçada, Tabuão
Sou um amigo que volta feliz Pra teus braços abertos, Bahía!
I'm a friend who happily returns to your open arms, Bahia!
Sou poeta e não quero ficar Assim longe da tua magia!
I'm a poet and don't want to stay away from your magic like this!
Deixa ver, teus sobrados, igrejas
Let me see, your mansions, churches
Teus santos, ladeiras
Your saints, hillsides
E montes tal qual um postal
And mountains like a postcard
Dá licença de rezar pro Senhor do Bonfim
Excuse me, to pray to Senhor do Bonfim
Salve! A Santa Bahía imortal, Bahía dos sonhos mil!
Hail! The immortal Holy Bahia, Bahia of a thousand dreams!
Eu fico contente da vida
I'm happy in life
Em saber que Bahía é Brasil!
To know that Bahia is Brazil!
Salve! A Santa Bahía imortal, Bahía dos sonhos mil!
Hail! The immortal Holy Bahia, Bahia of a thousand dreams!
Lyrics © IRMAOS VITALE S.A. - INDUSTRIA E COMERCIO
Written by: Denis Brean
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind