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.
Toda Menina Baiana
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Toda menina baiana tem encantos, que Deus dá
Toda menina baiana tem um jeito, que Deus dá
Toda menina baiana tem defeitos também que Deus dá
Que Deus deu
Que Deus dá
Pro bem, pro mal, primeiro chão na Bahia
Primeira missa, primeiro índio abatido também
Que Deus deu
Que Deus entendeu de dar toda magia
Pro bem, pro mal, primeiro chão na Bahia
Primeiro carnaval, primeiro pelourinho também
Que Deus deu
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Oh uh oh
Que Deus dá
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Oh uh oh
Que Deus dá
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Oh uh oh
Que Deus dá
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Oh uh oh
Toda menina baiana tem um santo, que Deus dá
Toda menina baiana tem encantos, que Deus dá
Toda menina baiana tem um jeito, que Deus dá
Toda menina baiana tem defeitos também que Deus dá
Que Deus deu
Que Deus dá
Que Deus entendeu de dar a primazia
Pro bem, pro mal, primeiro chão na Bahia
Primeira missa, primeiro índio abatido também
Que Deus deu
Que Deus entendeu de dar toda magia
Pro bem, pro mal, primeira mão na Bahia
Primeiro carnaval, primeiro pelourinho também
Que Deus deu
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Oh uh oh
Que Deus dá
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Oh uh oh
Que Deus dá
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Oh uh oh
Que Deus dá
Ah ah ah ah
Que Deus deu
Ie ie ie ie
Oh ie ie
Muito obrigado gente
Arthur, Celsinho, Lucas, Marquinhos, Susano, Jorginho Gomes
Beleza
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's song "Toda Menina Baiana" celebrate the essence and uniqueness of girls from Bahia, a state in northeastern Brazil. The song acknowledges that every girl from Bahia has a certain charm and character given by God. It acknowledges that these girls have their own way of being, with all their quirks and imperfections. The repetition of "que Deus dá" emphasizes the idea that these attributes and qualities are divine gifts.
The lyrics then shift to highlight the significance of Bahia in Brazilian history. It mentions that God understood the importance of giving priority to both the good and the bad that happened in Bahia, referring to the state being the first landing spot of Portuguese colonizers in Brazil. The lyrics mention the first mass celebrated in Bahia and also allude to the first indigenous person killed by the colonizers. This acknowledgment of the complex history and contradictions of Bahia adds depth to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Toda menina baiana tem um santo, que Deus dá
Every girl from Bahia has a saint, that God gives
Toda menina baiana tem encantos, que Deus dá
Every girl from Bahia has charms, that God gives
Toda menina baiana tem um jeito, que Deus dá
Every girl from Bahia has a way, that God gives
Toda menina baiana tem defeitos também que Deus dá
Every girl from Bahia also has flaws that God gives
Que Deus deu
That God gave
Que Deus dá
That God gives
Que Deus entendeu de dar a primazia
That God understood to give the primacy
Pro bem, pro mal, primeiro chão na Bahia
For good, for bad, the first ground in Bahia
Primeira missa, primeiro índio abatido também
First mass, first indigenous person killed as well
Que Deus entendeu de dar toda magia
That God understood to give all the magic
Pro bem, pro mal, primeiro chão na Bahia
For good, for bad, the first ground in Bahia
Primeiro carnaval, primeiro pelourinho também
First carnival, first whipping post as well
Ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah
Oh uh oh
Oh uh oh
Que Deus deu
That God gave
Muito obrigado gente
Thank you very much, folks
Arthur, Celsinho, Lucas, Marquinhos, Susano, Jorginho Gomes
Arthur, Celsinho, Lucas, Marquinhos, Susano, Jorginho Gomes
Beleza
Beauty
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Graciete Bentes
Vamos responder nas urnas de Manaus Amazonas Brasil vitória de bolsonaro 22 no primeiro turno
PEDRO HENRIQUE
porque pra mim tirar carteira de motorista eu preciso ser no mínimo alfabetizado, mas pra mim gerir um país e tomar decisões que afetam a vida das pessoas eu posso ser um analfabeto?
Dan SP
Pelo seu português vc ainda não tirou carteira de motorista kkkkkkkk😂😂😂
GATO
@Felipe MartinsMas ele pode ser presidente.
Rafaela Martins Marçal Augusto
#pelofimdaobrigatoriedadedovoto.
Mykfly Ventura Ventura
SE O LULA ENTRA O EXÉRCITO BRASILEIRO JÁ AVISOU QUE VAI TIRAR ELE LA DE DENTRO, PORQUE O EXÉRCITO BRASILEIRO NÃO É OBRIGADO A BATER CONTINÊNCIA PARA BANDIDO.
Josimar
Bolsonaro reeleito sem Globo e sem UOL Folha Band Veja e CNN Ivete Caetano e Anita
🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Eu Mesma
Eu não votei no Lula. Mas, acho que o Lula vai ganhar no primeiro turno. Além do eleitorado dele ser alto, ele ainda leva o eleitorado do Alckmin junto.
Maria Nascimento
Kkkkkkk miliciano
José Nilton
Bom dia meu voto minha família Congonhas MG LULA 13