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.
Zumbi
Caetano Veloso Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Monjolo,Cabinda, Mina,
Quiloa, Rebolo
Aqui onde estão os homens
Há um grande leilão
Dizem que nele há uma princesa à venda
Que veio junto com seus súditos
Acorrentados num carro de boi
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Angola, Congo, Benguela,
Monjolo,Cabinda, Mina,
Quiloa, Rebolo
Aqui onde estão os homens
De um lado cana-de-açúcar
De outro lado, o cafezal
Ao centro, os senhores sentados
Vendo a colheita do algodão branco
Sendo colhido por mãos negras
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Quando Zumbi chegar
O que vai acontecer
Zumbi é o senhor das guerras
Senhor das demandas
Quando Zumbi chega
É Zumbi é quem manda
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Eu quero ver
Angola
Congo
Benguela
Monjolo
Cabinda
Mona
Quiloa
Rebolo
The lyrics of Caetano Veloso's "Zumbi" address the history of slavery in Brazil, particularly the sale of enslaved Africans at auctions. The song begins by listing the names of several African regions that were sources of enslaved peoples - Angola, Congo, Benguela, Monjolo, Cabinda, Mina, Quiloa, and Rebolo - and then describes a slave auction where a princess is being sold, along with her followers who are chained to an ox cart. The imagery here highlights the dehumanizing nature of slavery and the brutal treatment of Africans who were taken from their homes and forced to become property.
The song then shifts to describe the labor of enslaved people on the sugar cane and coffee plantations, with white plantation owners watching as black slaves harvest cotton. The contrast between the wealth and comfort of the plantations' owners and the harsh conditions their slaves endure is striking, and the image of "hands" picking white cotton emphasizes the extreme labor done by black slaves. The song concludes with the invocation of Zumbi, a historical figure who bravely led a rebellion of enslaved Africans in Brazil, and who today is remembered as a hero of the fight against slavery.
Line by Line Meaning
Angola, Congo, Benguela,
These are the names of African regions that were affected by the slave trade.
Monjolo, Cabinda, Mina,
These are other regions in Africa that were also affected by the slave trade.
Quiloa, Rebolo
These are more specific locations within Africa impacted by the slave trade.
Aqui onde estão os homens
This refers to the place where men are, consciously bringing attention to the fact that they are the ones participating in the slave trade.
Há um grande leilão
There is a big slave auction taking place.
Dizem que nele há uma princesa à venda
There is talk that a princess is being sold as a slave.
Que veio junto com seus súditos
She is not alone, as her subjects are also being sold with her.
Acorrentados num carro de boi
They are being transported in a cruel and inhumane manner.
Eu quero ver
The repeated phrase 'Eu quero ver' means 'I want to see'. The singer wants to witness the events unfold.
De um lado cana-de-açúcar
Cane sugar is being grown on one side.
De outro lado, o cafezal
On the other side, there is a coffee plantation.
Ao centro, os senhores sentados
The plantation owners are sitting in the center.
Vendo a colheita do algodão branco
They are watching the cotton harvest.
Sendo colhido por mãos negras
The slaves, who have dark skin, are the ones doing the hard labor.
Quando Zumbi chegar
When Zumbi arrives at the scene
O que vai acontecer
What will happen, referring to a dramatic event that will occur
Zumbi é o senhor das guerras
Zumbi is a leader in battles
Senhor das demandas
Zumbi is a leader in fighting for justice and change.
Quando Zumbi chega
When Zumbi arrives on the scene
É Zumbi é quem manda
He takes control and leadership.
Angola
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Congo
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Benguela
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Monjolo
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Cabinda
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Mina
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Quiloa
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Rebolo
This line just repeats the name of the African region again.
Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Zefi Iro
Angola, Congo, Benguela
Monjolo, Cabinda, Mina
Quillota, Rebolo
Aquí donde están los hombres
Hay una gran subasta
Dicen que en él hay una princesa a la venta
Que vino junto con sus súbditos
Acorralados en un carro de buey
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Angola, Congo, Benguela
Monjolo, Cabinda, Mina
Quillota, Rebolo
Aquí donde están los hombres
De un lado caña de azúcar
Por otro lado, el cafezal
En el centro, los señores sentados
Vendo la cosecha del algodón blanco
Siendo cosido por manos negras
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Cuando Zumbi llegar
Lo que va a suceder
Zumbi es el señor de las guerras
Señor de las demandas
Cuando Zumbi llega
Es Zumbi es quien manda
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Angola
Congo
Benguela
Monjolo
Cabinda
mina
Kilwa
piedra de amolar
Zefi Iro
Angola, Congo, Benguela
Monjolo, Cabinda, Mina
Quillota, Rebolo
Aquí donde están los hombres
Hay una gran subasta
Dicen que en él hay una princesa a la venta
Que vino junto con sus súbditos
Acorralados en un carro de buey
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Angola, Congo, Benguela
Monjolo, Cabinda, Mina
Quillota, Rebolo
Aquí donde están los hombres
De un lado caña de azúcar
Por otro lado, el cafezal
En el centro, los señores sentados
Vendo la cosecha del algodón blanco
Siendo cosido por manos negras
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Cuando Zumbi llegar
Lo que va a suceder
Zumbi es el señor de las guerras
Señor de las demandas
Cuando Zumbi llega
Es Zumbi es quien manda
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Yo quiero ver
Angola
Congo
Benguela
Monjolo
Cabinda
mina
Kilwa
piedra de amolar
Roberto Soares
Noites do Norte foi uma bela obra de.Caetano. Zera Reza, Rock'n'Raul... Muito bom. Essa versão de Zumbi está maravilhosa.
Rafael Moreira
Concordo contigo... Esse disco do Caê é clássico!
Glauco Orlandi
achei que a música fosse dele...
Miguel Rodrigues Fernandes
Amo, muito harmoniosa essa gravação
Vibe True
É um deus
Leandro Ribeiro
Até que emfim alguém postou esta versão. Obrigado !
Kares A. Ribeiro
Que versão do CARALHO!!
Fabrício Maciel
Eu gostaria de ter este disco inteiro.
Rafael Moreira
Basta você comprar o disco no Mercado Livre.