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.
Coqueiro De Itapoã
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Areia de Itapoã, areia
Morena de Itapoã, morena
Saudade de Itapoã, me deixa
Oh vento que faz cantiga nas folhas
No alto do coqueiral
Oh vento que ondula as águas
Me traga boas notícias
Daquela terra toda manhã
E joga uma flor no colo
De uma morena de Itapoã
Coqueiro de Itapoã, coqueiro
Areia de Itapoã, areia
Morena de Itapoã, morena
Saudade de Itapoã, me deixa
Me deixa
Oh vento que faz cantiga nas folhas
No alto do coqueiral
Oh vento que ondula as águas
Eu nunca tive saudade igual
Me traga boas notícias
Daquela terra toda manhã
E joga uma flor no colo
De uma morena de Itapoã
Coqueiro de Itapoã, coqueiro
Areia de Itapoã, areia
Morena de Itapoã, morena
Saudade de Itapoã, me deixa
Me deixa
The song "Coqueiro De Itapoã" by Caetano Veloso and Jauperi is a beautiful tribute to the town of Itapoã in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The song speaks of the iconic coconut trees (coqueiro), the sand (areia), and the people of Itapoã, particularly a beautiful brown-skinned woman (morena). The lyrics express a deep sense of nostalgia (saudade) for the town and its people.
The song creates a vivid image of the town and its natural surroundings. The first verse describes the coconut trees and sand of Itapoã, while the second verse references the wind that blows through the 'coqueiral', or coconut grove, and the water that ripples in the bay. The repeated refrain of "Saudade de Itapoã, me deixa" emphasizes the singer's longing for the place.
The last two lines of the song are especially poignant, as they ask the wind to bring good news every morning from the land of Itapoã, and to leave a flower on the lap of a brown-skinned woman. These lines suggest that the singer wants to remain connected to the town, even though they may be physically separated.
Line by Line Meaning
Coqueiro de Itapoã, coqueiro
Talking about a palm tree in Itapoã beach
Areia de Itapoã, areia
Referring to the sand of Itapoã beach
Morena de Itapoã, morena
Referring to a brown-skinned woman from Itapoã beach
Saudade de Itapoã, me deixa
Expressing a deep longing for the memories of Itapoã beach and requesting to be left alone with these feelings
Oh vento que faz cantiga nas folhas
Addressing the wind that creates a melody on the palm leaves
No alto do coqueiral
Referring to the top of the palm trees
Oh vento que ondula as águas
Referring to the wind that makes the water move
Eu nunca tive saudade igual
Expressing a deep longing that surpasses anything previously experienced
Me traga boas notícias
Requesting the wind to bring good news
Daquela terra toda manhã
Referring to the place of memories in Itapoã beach
E joga uma flor no colo
Requesting the wind to place a flower in the lap of a brown-skinned woman from Itapoã beach
Me deixa
Requesting to be left alone with memories and emotions
Coqueiro de Itapoã, coqueiro
Repeating the earlier line talking about a palm tree in Itapoã beach
Areia de Itapoã, areia
Repeating the earlier line referring to the sand of Itapoã beach
Morena de Itapoã, morena
Repeating the earlier line referring to a brown-skinned woman from Itapoã beach
Saudade de Itapoã, me deixa
Repeating the earlier line expressing a deep longing for the memories of Itapoã beach and requesting to be left alone with these feelings
Me deixa
Repeating the earlier line requesting to be left alone with memories and emotions
Lyrics © IRMAOS VITALE S/A INDUSTRIA E COMERCIO
Written by: Dorival Caymmi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind