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.
Doideca / London London
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Funk carioca, Londresselvas em flor
Jorjão viradouro, Arnaldo, olodum, titã
Funk carioca, arrigo Tom, Zé Miguel
Lucas Valdemente, chelpa, ferro, mangue
Bit beat carioca, lira paulistana
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, viradouro
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, axé music
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão
Lira paulistana, música doideca
Funk carioca, Londresselvas em flor
Banda feminina da Didá, Didá, de
Banda feminina da Didá, Didá
Banda tropicália de Tom Zé, Tom Zé, de
Banda tropicália de Tom Zé, Tom Zé de banda
Didá Didá Didá de banda
Banda
Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Chicago, negro, alemão
I'm wandering round and round, nowhere to go
I'm lonely in London, London is lovely so
I cross the streets without fear
Everybody keeps the way clear
I'm wandering round and round here, nowhere to go
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, viradouro
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, timbalada
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, axé music
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, viradouro
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão
In Caetano Veloso's song "Doideca/London London," the lyrics are a list of various musicians and bands that have influenced Brazilian music. The song touches on a variety of genres, including funk carioca, Parisian songs, and bossa nova. The repeated phrases of "Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão" seem to be referencing the idea of cultural exchange and the blending of different influences within Brazilian music.
One interpretation of the song is that it is a celebration of the diversity and eclecticism of Brazilian music. The references to different genres and artists could be seen as a way of acknowledging the many cultural influences that have contributed to Brazilian music over the years. The line "Londresselvas em flor" (London jungles in bloom) is a nod to the idea that music can blossom in unexpected places, even in the urban jungle of London.
Another possible interpretation is that the song is a commentary on the universal nature of music and its ability to transcend cultural boundaries. The reference to different cultures and nationalities could be seen as a way of highlighting the fact that music is a universal language that can be enjoyed and appreciated by people from all over the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Lira paulistana, música doideca
The crazy music of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Funk carioca, Londresselvas em flor
Rio de Janeiro's funk music mixed with the bloom of London
Jorjão viradouro, Arnaldo, olodum, titã
Jorge Ben Jor and other Brazilian artists associated with Afro-Brazilian rhythms
Funk carioca, arrigo Tom, Zé Miguel
Rio de Janeiro's funk music mixed with the works of Arrigo Barnabé and Zé Miguel Wisnik
Lucas Valdemente, chelpa, ferro, mangue
Lucas Santtana, Chelpa Ferro and Manguebeat mixed together
Bit beat carioca, lira paulistana
Rio de Janeiro's electro beats mixed with Sao Paulo's crazy music
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Mixing of different cultures - gay, Chicago, black, German and bossa nova music
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, timbalada
Mixing of different cultures - gay, Chicago, black, German and timbalada music
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, viradouro
Mixing of different cultures - gay, Chicago, black, German and viradouro music
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, axé music
Mixing of different cultures - gay, Chicago, black, German and axé music
Banda feminina da Didá, Didá, de
The all-female percussion group Didá from Bahia, Brazil
Banda tropicália de Tom Zé, Tom Zé, de
Tom Zé's Tropicália band from Brazil
Tom Zé de banda
Tom Zé's band
Didá Didá Didá de banda
Didá's percussion music group
Banda
Band
Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Mixing of different cultures - Chicago, black, German and bossa nova music
Chicago, negro, alemão
Mixing of different cultures - Chicago, black and German music
I'm wandering round and round, nowhere to go
The feeling of being lost and hopeless
I'm lonely in London, London is lovely so
Feeling lonely in a city that is still beautiful
I cross the streets without fear
Feeling confident and unafraid in London
Everybody keeps the way clear
People make way for the artist in London
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, viradouro
Mixing of different cultures - gay, Chicago, black, German and viradouro music
Gay, Chicago, negro, alemão, bossa nova
Mixing of different cultures - gay, Chicago, black, German and bossa nova music
Writer(s): Caetano Veloso
Contributed by Hailey N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.