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.
Meia-Lua Inteira
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Estrangeiro gozador
Cocar de coqueiro baixo quando engano se enganou
São dim, dom, dão são bento, grande homens de movimento
Martelo do tribunal, sumiu na mata adentro
Foi pego sem documento no terreiro regional
Poeira ra ra ra, poeira ra ra ra
Verdadeiro ra ra ra, derradeiro rara ra
Não me impede de cantar ra ra ra ra, tô no pé de onde dera ra ra ra
Bimba berimba a mim que diga, taco de arame, cabaça, barriga
São dim, dom, dão São Bento, grande homem de movimento
Nunca foi um marginal, sumiu na praça a tempo
Caminhando contra o vento sobre a prata capital
Poeira ra ra ra, poeira ra ra ra
Terça-feira, capoeira ra ra ra, tô no pé de onde dera ra ra ra
Derradeiro ra ra ra, verdadeiro ra ra ra
Não me impede de cantar ra ra ra ra, tô no pé de onde dera ra ra ra
Poeira ra ra ra, poeira ra ra ra
Terça-feira, capoeira ra ra ra, tô no pé de onde dera rara ra
Verdadeiro ra ra ra, derradeiro ra ra ra
Não me impede de cantar ra ra ra ra, tô no pé de onde dera ra ra ra
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's song Meia-Lua Inteira are filled with references to Brazilian cultural and historical elements. The song talks about capoeira, a martial art developed by African slaves in Brazil that combines dance and acrobatics and was used as a means of resistance against oppression. The line "meia lua inteira" refers to a capoeira move that means "half-moon/full-moon," which is also used metaphorically to represent the dualities and contradictions of Brazilian culture.
The song also mentions the figure of the "estrangeiro gozador," which can be translated as the mocking foreigner, a common stereotype of foreigners who come to Brazil and make fun of the country and its people. The lyrics challenge this stereotype and present a proud and defiant Brazilian identity.
Other lines in the song mention historical figures and events, such as the "hammer of the court" who disappeared in the forest without proper documentation and the "São Dim, Dom, Dão São Bento," who were influential leaders of movements in Brazil's history.
Through its rich imagery and cultural references, Meia-Lua Inteira celebrates the complexity and diversity of Brazilian culture, as well as its resistance to oppression and its pride in its heritage.
Line by Line Meaning
Meia lua inteira sopapo, na cara do fraco
A strong kick that hits hard, knocking down those who are weak
Estrangeiro gozador
A foreigner who likes to joke and have fun
Cocar de coqueiro baixo quando engano se enganou
A mistake made by someone who thought they had everything figured out
São dim, dom, dão são bento, grande homens de movimento
A group of powerful and influential men who make things happen
Martelo do tribunal, sumiu na mata adentro
The hammer of justice disappeared into the wilderness
Foi pego sem documento no terreiro regional
Caught without proper documentation at a local gathering place
Poeira ra ra ra, poeira ra ra ra
The dust that rises as people move and dance
Terça-feira, capoeira ra ra ra, tô no pé de onde dera ra ra ra
On Tuesday, practicing the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira where it all started
Verdadeiro ra ra ra, derradeiro rara ra
The real and final thing that cannot be stopped
Não me impede de cantar ra ra ra ra, tô no pé de onde dera ra ra ra
Singing without restraint, in the place where it all began for me
Bimba berimba a mim que diga, taco de arame, cabaça, barriga
Traditional Brazilian instruments used for playing music
Nunca foi um marginal, sumiu na praça a tempo
He was never a criminal, disappeared from the scene in time
Caminhando contra o vento sobre a prata capital
Walking against the wind in the middle of a bustling city
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Carlinhos Brown, Antonio Freitas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@monicaalvesfernandes4605
Sou portuguesa e quis assistir a esta excelente novela. Que nostalgia!
A minha infância!!
Saudades!
Impossível ouvir estas músicas sem as lágrimas caírem.
Parabéns!🙏 💙
@michaelmoretz2348
Tieta jamais será esquecida rsrs
@TheSonynha
Eu nao sei porquê, mas sempre tenho vontade de ouvir essa musica! Desde menina essa música volta e meia vem na minha memória e sinto muita alegria, paz e uma saudade não sei do quê... kkkk
@marciotadeu1597
Eu tambem😃😃
@tammysilva148
Eu tbm kk e já lembro da novela tieta aquilo q era novela
@allangregoriodasilvagregor9401
Contagiante essa música!
@valdofelix8666
Eu também kkk
@martocasp
eu tb ! me da muita alegria adoro a letra, a musicalidade, tudo
@Mari.luhx07
Simplesmente eu pesquisei essa música, pq escutei na novela Tieta. Muito boa cara 🤣😎
@feehsantos6448
A chegada de Tieta no Globoplay me trouxe aqui. Assistindo pela primeira vez. Que novela!