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.
Musa Híbrida
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Musa híbrida
De olho verde e carapinha cúprica
Cúprica cúprica cúprica
Onça, onça
A minha voz tão fosca
Brilha por teus lábios bundos
Dongo, congo, gê, tupi
Batavo, luso, hebreu e mouro
Se espalha pelo mundo
Vamos refazer o mundo
Teu buço louro
Meu canto mestiçoso
Tu, onça tu
Eu, jacaré eu
Para Antônio Risério
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's song Musa Híbrida are a beautiful mix of Portuguese and African influences. The title itself means "Hybrid Muse," and it refers to a beautiful woman with green eyes and coppery hair, who is also compared to a jaguar (onça). The first verse repeats the phrase "cúprica" three times, which means "copper-colored" in Portuguese, emphasizing this woman's unique and exotic appearance.
The second verse speaks of the singer's own voice, which is "fosca" or hoarse, shining through the woman's "bundos" or full lips. The singer then goes on to describe the different ethnic and cultural influences that make up the woman's ancestry, including indigenous Tupi people, Dutch Batavians, Portuguese, Hebrews, and Moors. This diverse heritage "se espalha pelo mundo," or spreads throughout the world, emphasizing the idea of hybridity and diversity as something to be celebrated. The final two lines of the song bring in the image of a jacaré (alligator) as a counterpart to the onça, representing another aspect of the natural world that is equally important and beautiful in its own way.
Overall, the song Musa Híbrida celebrates the idea of hybridity and diversity, both in terms of people and the natural world. Caetano Veloso draws on a range of cultural influences and poetic imagery to create a beautiful tribute to this concept.
Line by Line Meaning
Musa híbrida
This song is about a hybrid muse, someone who is a mix of different races and cultures.
Musa híbrida
The title is repeated to emphasize the importance of this hybrid muse.
De olho verde e carapinha cúprica
The muse has green eyes and curly copper hair.
Cúprica cúprica cúprica
The repetition of the word 'cúprica' emphasizes the significance of the muse's copper hair.
Onça, onça
The song mentions a jaguar, which could represent the strength and beauty of the muse.
A minha voz tão fosca
The singer has a hoarse voice.
Brilha por teus lábios bundos
The muse has full, sensual lips that enhance the singer's voice.
A malha do teu pêlo
The texture of the muse's hair is described as a mesh.
Dongo, congo, gê, tupi
These are all indigenous tribes or languages that the muse may have descended from.
Batavo, luso, hebreu e mouro
These are all ethnicities that could also be a part of the muse's heritage.
Se espalha pelo mundo
The muse's heritage has spread throughout the world.
Vamos refazer o mundo
The singer and muse want to change the world for the better.
Teu buço louro
The muse has blonde facial hair.
Meu canto mestiçoso
The singer's song is a mix of different genres and cultures, just like the muse's heritage.
Tu, onça tu
The muse is referred to again as a jaguar, possibly symbolizing the power and beauty of their mixed heritage.
Eu, jacaré eu
The singer compares themselves to a caiman, a type of crocodile. This could represent their own strength and power.
Para Antônio Risério
The song is dedicated to Antônio Risério, a Brazilian writer and intellectual who has written extensively on African and Afro-Brazilian culture.
Contributed by Alexis B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mariel Franco
Me encanta !!!