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.
Júlia/Moreno
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uma talvez Júlia não
Uma talvez Júlia não tem
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver com isso
Uma Júlia
Um quiçá Moreno
Um quiçá Moreno nem
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber qual era
Um Moreno
Talvez Júlia
Uma talvez Júlia não
Uma talvez Júlia não tem
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver com isso
Uma Júlia
Um quiçá Moreno
Um quiçá Moreno nem
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber qual era
Um Moreno
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's song "Júlia/Moreno" are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The repetition of phrases suggests a sense of uncertainty and speculation about two characters, Júlia and Moreno. The lyrics showcase the possibilities and uncertainties surrounding their relationship or connection.
In the first verse, it begins with the phrase "Uma talvez Júlia," which translates to "One maybe Júlia." The repetition of "uma talvez Júlia" emphasizes the uncertainty surrounding this character. It goes on to say that "Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver com isso," meaning "One maybe Júlia has nothing to do with it." This line implies that Júlia might not be related or relevant to the situation at hand.
The second verse introduces the character of Moreno with the line "Um quiçá Moreno," which can be translated as "One perhaps Moreno." Similarly to Júlia, the repetition of this phrase accentuates the uncertainty surrounding Moreno. The following lines suggest that "Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber qual era," meaning "Perhaps Moreno will not even want to know what it was." This implies that Moreno might not be interested in finding out the truth or the significance of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Uma talvez Júlia
There is a possibility that there is a person named Júlia
Uma talvez Júlia não
Perhaps this Júlia does not
Uma talvez Júlia não tem
Perhaps this Júlia does not have
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada
Perhaps this Júlia has nothing
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver
Perhaps this Júlia has nothing to do with it
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver com isso
Perhaps this Júlia has nothing to do with this
Uma Júlia
There is a Júlia
Um quiçá Moreno
Perhaps there is a person named Moreno
Um quiçá Moreno nem
Perhaps this Moreno doesn't even
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai
Perhaps this Moreno won't even
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer
Perhaps this Moreno won't even want
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber
Perhaps this Moreno won't even want to know
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber qual era
Perhaps this Moreno won't even want to know what it was
Um Moreno
There is a Moreno
Talvez Júlia
Perhaps Júlia
Uma talvez Júlia não
Perhaps this Júlia does not
Uma talvez Júlia não tem
Perhaps this Júlia does not have
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada
Perhaps this Júlia has nothing
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver
Perhaps this Júlia has nothing to do with it
Uma talvez Júlia não tem nada a ver com isso
Perhaps this Júlia has nothing to do with this
Uma Júlia
There is a Júlia
Um quiçá Moreno
Perhaps there is a person named Moreno
Um quiçá Moreno nem
Perhaps this Moreno doesn't even
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai
Perhaps this Moreno won't even
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer
Perhaps this Moreno won't even want
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber
Perhaps this Moreno won't even want to know
Um quiçá Moreno nem vai querer saber qual era
Perhaps this Moreno won't even want to know what it was
Um Moreno
There is a Moreno
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caetano Emmanuel Viana Teles Veloso
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind