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.
María La O
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of how great a love can be
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
The simple truth about the love he brings to me
Where do I start?
With his first hello
He gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
He came into my life and made the living fine
He fills my heart
He fills my soul with very special things
With angel songs and wild imaginings
He fills my soul with so much love
That any where I go I'm never lonely
With him around who could be lonely
I reach for his hand
He's always there
How long does it last?
Can love be measured by the hours in a day?
I have no answers now
But this much I can say
I know I'll need him until the stars all burn away
And he'll be there
"Maria la O" is a song by Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso that speaks about the unending love between two people. The lyrics showcase a powerful and long-lasting love that survived the test of time. The song starts by asking where to begin telling the tale of a love that is greater than any other, a sweet love story that is said to be older than the sea. This introduces the listener to the sheer magnitude of the singer's love story.
The lyrics then shift and focus on the man behind the narrative, emphasizing that the love story commenced with his first "hello." This "hello" is the turning point in the singer's life, as it brings a newfound meaning and purpose into her life, previously empty without this love. As Veloso sings of this love, he acknowledges the significant impact that the man has had on the singer's life. He has made living fine, filling her soul and heart with special things, angel songs, and wild imaginings.
Furthermore, the lyrics seem to inquire into the nature of the love portrayed in the song, asking how long this unending love will last. The singer answers with a rhetorical question, stating that love cannot be measured by hours in a day. Finally, the song concludes by emphasizing that the singer will always need and rely on this man until the end of time. The love is so significant that it is sure to last until the end of things, and he will always be there.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do I begin to tell the story
At the start of the joyous tale
Of how great a love can be
Of a love so profound and intense
The sweet love story that is older than the sea
A tale of affection that has lasted through the ages
The simple truth about the love he brings to me
The undeniable fact about the adoration he showers on me
Where do I start?
Where should I commence my tale?
With his first hello
With the very first word he spoke to me
He gave new meaning to this empty world of mine
He filled my life with purpose and joy
They'll never be another love another time
No other love can match what he and I share
He came into my life and made the living fine
He made my life worth living
He fills my heart
He occupies a special place in my heart
He fills my soul with very special things
He enriches my soul with valuable treasures
With angel songs and wild imaginings
With uplifting music and unbridled fantasies
He fills my soul with so much love
He floods my soul with an abundance of love
That any where I go I'm never lonely
I never feel lonely no matter where I may be
With him around who could be lonely
As long as he's with me, I'm not alone
I reach for his hand
I seek his comforting presence
He's always there
He's always present, never absent
How long does it last?
How long can this love endure?
Can love be measured by the hours in a day?
Can the intensity of love be quantified by time?
I have no answers now
I don't know the answer right now
But this much I can say
But one thing is certain
I know I'll need him until the stars all burn away
I'll always need him, even until the end of time
And he'll be there
And he'll always be by my side
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Victor Samuel daPonte
O sucesso de Caetano Veloso é merecido. Ele conhece a história da música como ninguém, é um grande pesquisador e consegue transportar isso para sua obra. Se tal não fora pouco, seu imenso talento de compositor e intérprete. Nada é por acaso.
Maite Esteve santos
Qué bella y nostálgica canción...La cantaba mi madre hace lustros!
Laureana Vázquez
Canción divina de Ernesto Lecuona Cubano y la interetacion del maestro Veloso mmm belissima bravo bravissimo maestro mi corazón ama su talento tuve enorme placer en verlo en persona disfrutando mucho de su presentación
Olga Cárave Ruiz
Mencanta💖🌟🌟
Eimar Viana
Luiz, está é a melhor gravação de Maria Lá O. .Procure o CD Fina Estampa do Caetano, e ótimo!!
Vanessa Carmo
Muito boa a interpretação , bravo!
Vanessa Carmo
Gosto muito desta canção .
Ulises Chávez
Qué belleza
Marta Contini
Beautiful and evocative.
Luiz Vinícius Guimarães Bertoletti
Eu não conhecia essa interpretação de Catano Veloso. Maravilhosa!