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.
Cajuína
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos, intacta retina
Existirmos a que será que se destina?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos, intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
Existirmos a que será que se destina?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos, intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
Existirmos a que será que se destina?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos, intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's "Cajuína" are complex and thought-provoking, drawing from the themes of existence, love, and identity. The opening line, "Existirmos: a que será que se destina?" ("To exist: what is its purpose?"), sets the tone for the rest of the song, and leads us into a reflection on the mysteries of life itself.
The verse goes on to describe a moment of beauty and connection between two people, when the second person gives the singer a small rose. This act of kindness is significant because it reveals the giver's inner beauty, and shows that the singer may have found someone worth knowing. But there is also a sense of foreboding in the imagery of the "menino infeliz" (unhappy child), which suggests that the singer is aware of the fragility of happiness and the potential for disappointment.
The chorus brings us to a specific place, Teresina, and to a specific drink, cajuína, a type of Brazilian soft drink made from cashew fruit. The metaphorical significance of this drink is open to interpretation - it could represent purity, clarity, or sweetness - but the overall effect is to evoke a sense of place and identity, and to emphasize the importance of regional culture in shaping who we are.
Overall, "Cajuína" is a complex song that rewards close attention to its lyrics and imagery, speaking to themes that are universal and timeless.
Line by Line Meaning
Existirmos: a que será que se destina?
What is the purpose of our existence?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
For when you gave me the little rose
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
I saw that you are a beautiful man and if, by chance,
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
The unhappy child does not illuminate us
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Northeastern tears do not cloud
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
Only the matter of life was so thin
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
And we looked at each other with undamaged retinas
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
The crystal-clear cajuína in Teresina
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caetano Emmanuel Viana Teles Veloso
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thales Rodrigues
Não lembrava o que eram versos alexandrinos, fui procurar.
Verso Alexandrino: É um verso com 12 sílabas métricas. A métrica é o recurso utilizado para se medir um verso através da contagem das sílabas poéticas. A contagem de silabas poéticas é diferente das silabas tônicas, sendo 1.Realizada até a última sílaba tônica da última palavra do verso 2. Se uma sílaba terminar em uma vogal átona e a seguinte iniciar com uma vogal ou h elas se juntam e 3.Não se separa os dígrafos.
E/ xis/ tir/ mos/ a/ que/ se/ rá/ que/ se/ des/ ti
Pois/ quan/ do/ tu/ me/ des/ te a/ ro/ sa/ pe/ que/ ni
Vi/ que és/ um/ ho/ mem/ lin/ do e/ que/ se a/ ca/ so a/ si
Do/ me/ ni/ no in/ fe/ liz/ não/ se/ nos/ i/ lu/ mi
Tam/ pou/ co/ tur/ va/ -se a/ lá/ gri/ ma/ nor/ des/ ti
A/ pe/ nas/ a/ ma/ té/ ria/ vi/ da e/ ra/ tão/ fi
E é/ ra/ mos/ o/ lhar/ mo/ -nos/ in/ tac/ ta/ re/ ti
A/ ca/ ju/ í/ na/ cris/ ta/ li/ na em/ Te/ re/ si
Fantástico.
mar moza
Letra original + English lyrics + The song's story
Existirmos a que será que se destina?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
Existirmos a que será que se destina?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
Existirmos a que será que se destina?
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo e que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz não se nos ilumina
Tampouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
Lyrics :
We exist: What is it intended for?1
Because, when you gave me the little rose
I saw you are a handsome man and, if by chance, the destiny of
the unhappy boy doesn't light us,
Neither the northdeatern tear becomes blurred
Just the living matter was so fine
And we were looking at each other with a intact retina
The crystalline cajuina in Teresina
~~~~~~~~
“Cajuína” is a song written when Caetano was at Teresina, in the state of Piauí, for a show. It’s about a meeting whit Dr. Heli Nunes, father of the poet Torquato Neto, important name for the Tropicália movement. It was the first time Caetano met Dr. Heli after Torquato’s suicide. Caetano said that right bout his friend’s death he felt “a hardness of spirit inside me. I felt a bit bitter and sad but not sentimental”. But when he met Dr. Heli years later, that toughness fell to the ground and he cried a lot, he said “it was a tender, good, loving feeling, directed at Dr. Eli and Torquato, at life itself”. Caetano and Dr. Eli drank a tradicional drink of the northeastern of Brazil, called cajuína. Caetano wrote the song after that meeting.
Desativado Desativado
Existirmos
A que será que se destina
Pois quando tu me deste a rosa pequenina
Vi que és um homem lindo
E que se acaso a sina
Do menino infeliz
Não se nos ilumina
Tão pouco turva-se a lágrima nordestina
Apenas a matéria vida era tão fina
E éramos olharmo-nos intacta retina
A cajuína cristalina em Teresina
GB Vasconcelos
The translation:
For us to exist: what's it for?
Because when you gave me the little rose
I saw you are a beautiful man, and if, by chance, the unhappy boy's fortune doesn't enlight us
Not even the northeastern tear gets blurred
Just (that) the matter 'life' was so fine (ambiguity: precious or fragile?)
And we were looking ourselves (ambiguity: not even in portuguese we could delimitate the preposition: whether it is 'at', 'on' or even 'in', in the sense that they could be looking at each other, or inside themselves) intact retina
The crystalline Cajuina in Teresina
This song is about the time when Caetano Veloso was in Teresina, Piauí, Brasil, the city of his late friend Torquato Neto, a companion from the times of tropicalism (a brazilian cultural movement) who killed himself, in 72. Then, Caetano was in the home of Torquato's parents (where he had lived) crying a lot and being comforted by Torquato's father while they were drinking a Cajuina (at that time, Torquato's mother was hospitalized). For a moment, Torquato's father left and then returned with a little rose from his garden to Caetano.
Greetings to Igor Dalmy and João Pedro for their effort in translating this beautiful masterpiece, which has made me eager to attempt the same.
Igor Moreira
For foreigners, my translation:
To exist: what's it for?
Because when you gave me the little rose
I saw you are a beautiful man, and if by chance the unhappy boy's fortune don't light us
Neither the northeastern tear gets blurred
Just that the matter 'life' was so thin
And we were self eyed, intact retina
The crystalline cajuina in Teresina
Ana Nicolino
First you should know how he wrote the song. Briefly speaking, he was visiting the father of a great artist and close friend who had committed suicide years earlier. Very emotional, he found comfort in the spiritual understanding of his friend’s father, who seemed to have a very rational approach to his own son’s premature death, due to his spiritualist understanding of the world. Caetano says he was crying hopelessly when the father goes to the garden and picks a small rose (Rosa pequenina) and comforted him. Also, you should know that “cajuína” (a sort of extract from cashew) is a typical beverage in that part of the country (Teresina), which Caetano says they were drinking during the mentioned visit. That being said, here goes an attempt to translate:
Existing: what is it meant for?
For when you gave me the little rose
I saw that you are a beautiful man and if the fate of
The unhappy boy does not enlighten us
Nor does the northeastern tear darkens
Only the life matter [as in physical matter, not subject] was so thin
And looking at each other’s intact retina
The crystalline cajuína in Teresina
João Pedro
My free so-so translation. Due to the poetry, the figurative meanings, the interpretation... its very difficult to translate. It's two languages completly different. Sorry for any mistakes in my poor english :
To exist: what's it for?
Because when you gave me the little rose
I saw you're a beautiful man, and if by chance the destiny
of unhappy boy don't light us
Neither the northeastern tear gets blurred
Just that the matter life was so fine(or thin)
And we were looking ourselves(or/and each other) intact retina
The crystalline cajuina in Teresina.
This song is about when Caetano Veloso was in Teresina, Piauí, Brasil, due to the mother of his late friend Torquato Neto was hospitalized. Caetano was in the home of Torquato's parents (where he had lived) crying a lot and being comforted by Torquato's father while they drinking Cajuína. For a moment, Torquato's father left and returned with a little rose from the garden to Caetano.
Arlindo Bueno Filho
Belíssima e sensível homenagem prestada aos pais de Torquato Neto, ativista cultural dos 70, um dos ícones da tropicália, que se matou por causa do patrulhamento ideológico, da perseguição militar aos artistas que resultou no exílio de alguns deles, entre eles o próprio Caetano, um de seus amigos e parceiro musical. Torquato não suportou o marasmo e nem lixo cultural no qual o Brasil havia mergulhado por causa das constantes proibições impostas pela ditadura militar, e se matou. A música foi composta após uma visita ao pai de Torquato Neto, que num gesto de delicadeza, ofereceu ao Caetano, em prantos, além da cajuína, uma rosa colhida no jardim da casa em que o filho havia morado. Linda e surpreendente canção, tal qual o próprio Caetano.
Rosa Andrade
@Everaldo N. M. Júnior versões sempre há! Um conjunto de fatores, eu mesma que nunca liguei para política senti a piora da minha angústia no peso do fanatismo e da hipocrisia que tomou conta do pais nestes últimos 4 anos! Foi difícil. Brutos, toscos e alienados são felizes.
Everaldo N. M. Júnior
@Rosa Andrade há várias versões.
Rosa Andrade
@Henrique P Wagner a música é uma homenagem linda, ele foi tudo isso, mas teve o talento e o respeito de gênios da arte musical. Ele foi como tantos outros cometas que passam por aqui e não se adequam a tanta mediocridade. Vem e vão rápido. Não são comuns.
Everaldo N. M. Júnior
@Rosa Andrade várias versões.
Rosa Andrade
@Everaldo N. M. Júnior provocados por ??? Há um gatilho, ou vários.
Ricardo Costa
A sensibilidade de um homem que dá uma rosa a outro, transcende o significado de uma simples rosa.
Cristina Frazão
@Bagre isso mesmo.
solange silva vieira
A música é uma homenagem ao pai de Torquato Neto, poeta e amigo de Caetano e de tantos outros músicos, que havia cometido suicídio. Caetano foi visitar o pai de Torquato Neto e compôs essa obra prima homenageando os dois.
Bagre
@Laura Tude a música não tem nada haver com isso, é sobre o pai de um amigo de Caetano amigo esse que cometeu suicídio, o pai dele um dia visitou Caetano e o ofereceu uma rosa e a cajuína