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.
De Conversa
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Cigana quem temperou
O cheiro do cravo
Eh cigana quem temperou
Morena quem temperou
A cor da canela
A morena quem temperou
O cheiro do cravo
Morena quem temperou
Eh cigana quem temperou
Morena quem temperou
A cor de canela
Eh morena quem temperou
A morena quem temperou
Cigana quem temperou
O cheiro do cravo
Eh morena quem temperou
A morena quem temperou
Cigana quem temperou
A cor de canela
Eh morena quem temperou
A morena quem temperou
Cigana quem temperou
O cheiro do cravo
A morena quem temperou
Eh cigana quem temperou
Morena quem temperou
A cor de canela
Eh cigana quem temperou
Morena quem temperou
O cheiro do cravo
Eh cigana quem temperou
Morena quem temperou
A cor de canela
Eh cigana quem temperou
Morena quem temperou
O cheiro do cravo
Eh cigana quem temperou
Morena quem temperou
A cor de canela
Ai cigana quem temperou
Morena
Ai morena, morena, morena, ai morena, ai morena, ai morena
É conversando que a gente se entende
The lyrics to "De Conversa Em Conversa" by Caetano Veloso and João Gilberto are repetitive and simple, yet they carry a deep meaning. The song begins with the phrase "Morena quem temperou" which translates to "The brunette who seasoned." This line is then followed by "Cigana quem temperou" which means "The gypsy who seasoned." These lines are repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the role that these women play in adding flavor and essence to life.
The mention of "o cheiro do cravo" or "the smell of cloves" is a poetic reference to the fragrance and allure that these women bring. The lyrics also mention "a cor da canela" or "the color of cinnamon," referring to the warm and inviting nature that these women embody.
The repetition of these lines, with slight variations, suggests a conversation happening between two individuals. In the last line, "É conversando que a gente se entende," which translates to "It is by talking that we understand each other," the song highlights the importance of communication and understanding to build connections and resolve conflicts.
Line by Line Meaning
A morena quem temperou
The brunette who seasoned
Cigana quem temperou
The gypsy who seasoned
O cheiro do cravo
The scent of clove
Eh cigana quem temperou
It's the gypsy who seasoned
Morena quem temperou
Brunette who seasoned
A cor da canela
The color of cinnamon
Eh morena quem temperou
It's the brunette who seasoned
A morena quem temperou
The brunette who seasoned
Cigana quem temperou
The gypsy who seasoned
O cheiro do cravo
The scent of clove
Eh morena quem temperou
It's the brunette who seasoned
A morena quem temperou
The brunette who seasoned
Cigana quem temperou
The gypsy who seasoned
A cor de canela
The color of cinnamon
Eh morena quem temperou
It's the brunette who seasoned
A morena quem temperou
The brunette who seasoned
Cigana quem temperou
The gypsy who seasoned
O cheiro do cravo
The scent of clove
Eh cigana quem temperou
It's the gypsy who seasoned
Morena quem temperou
Brunette who seasoned
A cor de canela
The color of cinnamon
Eh cigana quem temperou
It's the gypsy who seasoned
Morena quem temperou
Brunette who seasoned
O cheiro do cravo
The scent of clove
Eh cigana quem temperou
It's the gypsy who seasoned
Morena quem temperou
Brunette who seasoned
A cor de canela
The color of cinnamon
Eh cigana quem temperou
It's the gypsy who seasoned
Morena quem temperou
Brunette who seasoned
A cor de canela
The color of cinnamon
Ai cigana quem temperou
Oh, it's the gypsy who seasoned
Morena
Brunette
Ai morena, morena, morena, ai morena, ai morena, ai morena
Oh brunette, brunette, brunette, oh brunette, oh brunette, oh brunette
É conversando que a gente se entende
It's through conversation that we understand each other
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ronaldo Bastos, Milton Silva Campos Nascimento
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind