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.
Nicinha
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
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Muito terá sido por causa de você, Nicinha
A vida tem uma dívida
Com a música perdida
No silêncio dos seus dedos
E no canto dos meus medos
No entanto, você é a alegria da vida
The lyrics above are from Caetano Veloso's song "Nicinha". In these verses, the singer confesses that if he ever manages to sing well, it will be thanks to Nicinha. He acknowledges that life owes a debt to the lost music, hidden in the silence of Nicinha's fingers and in the fear of his own singing. However, despite the darkness, Nicinha represents the joy of life.
The song is a tribute to Nicinha, a friend of Veloso's family who was a talented singer and musician, but whose talent went unacknowledged outside of her immediate circle. The song speaks to the power of music in everyday life, and the importance of recognizing and valuing the contributions of others.
Overall, "Nicinha" is a reflection on the power of music and the people who make it, as well as the importance of recognizing and celebrating talent wherever it may be found.
Line by Line Meaning
Se algum dia eu conseguir cantar bonito
Caso venha a ter um tom de canto atrativo
Muito terá sido por causa de você, Nicinha
Você, Nicinha, é a razão do meu sucesso vocálico
A vida tem uma dívida
A vida me deve algo grande
Com a música perdida
Referente à música que foi perdida no passado
No silêncio dos seus dedos
No momento em que você parou de tocar música
E no canto dos meus medos
E na minha insegurança quanto à minha prestação musical
No entanto, você é a alegria da vida
Apesar disso, você ainda traz felicidade à minha vida
Contributed by Juliana K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.