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.
Cara A Cara
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Danças, danças, danças, danças, danças
Na multidão
Veja se de vez em quando encontra
Contra, contra, contra
Os pedaços do meu coração
Tira essa máscara
Quero ver você
No trio elétrico rico
Rico, rico, rico, rico, rico
Deseendoidecer de alegria
Ria, ria, ria, ria
Que a luz se irradia
Dia, dia, dia, dia
Dia de sol na Bahia
The song Cara A Cara by Caetano Veloso is a beautiful expression of love and longing. The lyrics speak of a lover who is searching for their beloved amidst the crowded dance floor. The singer implores their lover to take off their mask so that they can come face to face and reconnect. The lyrics capture the emotions of a person who is struggling to cope with the pain of separation.
The repetition of the word "danças" creates the sense of a rhythm and emphasizes the obsessive nature of the singer's search. The use of the word "contra" which means against, suggests that the singer is actively fighting against the pain of separation. Finally, when the singer implores their lover to take off their mask, it is a plea for openness and honesty.
The chorus is an explosion of joy, and it expresses the singer's desire to see their partner in their element, amidst the lights and excitement of a trio elétrico. The use of the word "rico" or rich, emphasizes the abundance of love and happiness that they want to share. The repetition of "ria" (laugh), and "dia" (day) further reinforces the idea of eternal happiness. And finally, the last line of the chorus, "Dia de sol na Bahia" (A sunny day in Bahia) is a metaphor for the warmth and love that the singer wants to share with their lover.
Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of love, longing, and the pain of separation. It captures the joy and excitement of being reunited with a loved one while at the same time expressing the desire for honesty and openness in the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Nas suas andanças
During your wanderings
Danças, danças, danças, danças, danças
Dances, dances, dances, dances, dances
Na multidão
In the crowd
Veja se de vez em quando encontra
See if once in a while you find
Contra, contra, contra
Against, against, against
Os pedaços do meu coração
The pieces of my heart
Tira essa máscara
Take off that mask
Cara a cara, cara a cara, cara a cara
Face to face, face to face, face to face
Quero ver você
I want to see you
No trio elétrico rico
On the rich electric trio
Rico, rico, rico, rico, rico
Rich, rich, rich, rich, rich
Deseendoidecer de alegria
Going crazy with joy
Ria, ria, ria, ria
Laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh
Que a luz se irradia
That the light radiates
Dia, dia, dia, dia
Day, day, day, day
Dia de sol na Bahia
Sunny day in Bahia
Contributed by Jackson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.