Sister of the also popular and renowned singer and composer Caetano Veloso, she began her artistic career in 1963, appearing in the play "Boca de Ouro" by Nelson Rodrigues. A song about the play was written by Caetano Veloso, who opened the show singing a samba track by Ataulfo Alves. That year she met Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, Djalma Correa, Pitti, Alcivando Luz and Fernando Lona in Salvador, with whom she performed at the commemorations inaugurating the Vila Velha de Salvador theatre in 1964 in the shows "Nós por exemplo" and "Nova bossa velha, velha bossa nova". In 1964 she also appeared in "Mora na Filosofia", her first solo show, when she met Nara Leão. As 1965 she replaced the muse of bossa nova in the show at Teatro Opinião (Rio de Janeiro), sharing the stage with Zé Kéti and João do Vale. She stood out for her stirring interpretation of the song "Carcará". In 1965 she also recorded her first record, a single containing the tracks "Carcará" and "É de manhã", the first recording of Caetano Veloso’s composition. That same year she released a double single with the songs "Carcará", "No carnaval", "Mora na filosofia" and "Só eu sei", followed by her debut album "Maria Bethânia" and the record "Maria Bethânia canta Noel Rosa". That year she also performed in the show Arena canta Bahia, directed by Augusto Boal, alongside Gal, Gil, Caetano, Pitti and Tom Zé. Also under the direction of Boal, the same group performed the show Tempo de Guerra. In 1996 she shared the stage of Teatro Opinião with Vinícius de Moraes and Gilberto Gil, presenting the show "Pois é". In 1967 she released the album "Edu & Bethânia" with Edu Lobo. She appeared in the shows "Yes, nós temos Maria Bethânia" (Bolso theatre, Rio de Janeiro) and "Comigo me desavim" (Miguel Lemos theatre, Rio de Janeiro) and "Brasileiro profissão esperança", by Paulo Pontes, directed by Bibi Ferreira, at the Casa Grande theatre (Rio de Janeiro). In 1971 she recorded the album "A tua presença", which was praised by the select critics. In 1971 the show "Rosa dos ventos" premiered at Teatro da Praia (Rio de Janeiro), directed by Fauzi Arap and she released the album of the same name. In 1972 she appeared alongside Chico Buarque and Nara Leão in the film "Quando o carnaval chegar" by Cacá Diegues. After another trip to Europe, she launched the album "Drama - anjo exterminado" also that year. In 1973 the show Drama, luz da noite premiered at Teatro da Praia, directed by Antônio Bivar and Isabel Câmara, from which arose the record "Luz da noite". The following year she commemorated ten years in the music business with the show "A cena muda", directed by Fauzi Arap, at the Casa Grande Theatre (Rio de Janeiro). The show led to a live record of the same name. In 1975 she performed a lengthy season with Chico Buarque at the Canecão (Rio de Janeiro). In 1976 she recorded the album "Pássaro proibido" which earned her first gold record. Also that year she got together with Caetano, Gil and Gal, forming the group Os Doces Bárbaros. In 1977 she released the album "Pássaro da manhã", for which she received the second gold record of her career. That year she was considered one of the bestselling singers in Brazil, which opened new doors in the record industry. In 1978 she starred in the show "Maria Bethânia e Caetano Veloso ao vivo" alongside her brother. Also that year the album "Álibi" was released, which earned her third gold disk. In 1979 she recorded the album "Mel". She released a series of records in the following decades: "Alteza" (81), "Maria" (88), "Memória da pele" (89), "Olho d’água" (92), "As canções que você fez pra mim" (93), only recording records by Roberto and Erasmo Carlos Âmbar (96), "Imitação da vida" (97) and "A força que nunca seca" (99). In 1994 she performed alongside Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil, in the show "Doces Bárbaros na Mangueira", reference to the tribute made to them by this samba school, with the theme "Atrás da verde e rosa só não vai quem já morreu". In 2000, she recorded limited-edition album "Cânticos, preces, súplicas à Senhora dos Jardins do Céu". In 2001, she recorded the album "Maricotinha", containing the tracks "Moça do sonho" (Edu Lobo and Chico Buarque), from the musical "Cambaio, Primavera" (Carlos Lyra and Vinícius de Moraes), "Quando você não está aqui" (Herbert Vianna and Paulo Sérgio Valle), "Antes que amanheça" (Chico César and Carlos Rennó) and "Se eu morresse de saudade" (Gilberto Gil), among others, in addition to the title track, by Dorival Caymmi. She released the record a special show at the Canecão (Rio de Janeiro). The show included appearances by Caetano Veloso, Carlos Lyra, Chico Buarque, Nana e Danilo Caymmi, Adriana Calcanhoto and Gilberto Gil, among other artists. Also in 2001, in commemoration of her 35 years in the music business, she returned to the Canecão in the show "Maricotinha", which led to the double album "Maricotinha ao vivo". On December 8 that same year, she performed before 100,000 people on Copacabana beach alongside Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Gal Costa in the show "Doces Bárbaros", which concluded the project Pão Music. In 2003 the show presented in 2001 at the Canecão was released on the DVD "Maricotinha ao vivo", directed by André Horta. In 2003 she was also nominated for the Multishow Award in the categories Best Show and Best Album for "Maricotinha ao vivo". Also that year she created her own label, Quitanda, in partnership with record company Biscoito Fino, inaugurated the company by releasing the album "Brasileirinho", containing songs about religion and Brazil, with guest appearances by Nana Caymmi, Miúcha, Denise Stoklos and Ferreira Gullar, in addition to the groups Tira Poeira and Uakti, and the album "Vozes da Purificação", the first song recorded by Dona Edith do Prato. In 2004 she received the Tim Award in the categories Best Singer, Best Record and best visual MPB project, the Rival BR Award in the category Best Album, and the Academia Brasileira de Letras Award in the category Best Singer, in addition to being nominated for the Latin Grammy. That same year she produced and appeared as a singer alongside other artists on the album "Namorando a Rosa", a tribute record to violinist Rosinha de Valença, released by her Quitanda label. In 2005 she released the album Que falta você me faz, recording works by Vincius de Moraes, in partnership with Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque, Carlos Lyra, Baden Powell, Toquinho, Adoniran Barbosa and Jards Macalé. That same year she appeared at Canecão (Rio de Janeiro) in the show "Tempo Tempo Tempo Tempo - Uma homenagem a Vinícius de Moraes". In 2005 she also received the Golden Music Dolphin Award from the Rio de Janeiro State Culture Council.
A Felicidade
Maria Bethânia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Felicidade sim
A felicidade é como a gota
De orvalho numa pétala de flor
Brilha tranqüila depois de leve oscila
E cai como uma lágrima de amor
A grande ilusão do carnaval
A gente trabalha o ano inteiro
Por um momento de sonho
Pra fazer a fantasia
De rei ou de pirata ou jardineira
Pra tudo se acabar na quarta-feira
Tristeza não tem fim
Felicidade sim
A felicidade é como a pluma
Que o vento vai levando pelo ar
Voa tão leve más tem a vida breve
Precisa que haja vento sem parar
A minha felicidade está sonhando
Nos olhos da minha namorada
É como esta noite, pasando, pasando
Em busca da madrugada
Falem baixo, por favor
Pra que ela acorde alegre com o dia
Oferecendo beijos de amor
The lyrics to Maria Bethania's song Felicidade are about the contrasts between sadness and happiness. The song starts with the statement that sadness has no end, while happiness has an end. The first verse compares happiness to a drop of dew on a flower petal, which shines peacefully until it falls like a tear of love. The second verse explores the idea that for poor people, happiness seems like a great illusion, that the reality is that they work all year to achieve a moment of fantasy during carnival, only for it to end on Wednesday. The chorus then repeats the idea that sadness has no end, while happiness is fleeting and delicate like a feather that needs a constant breeze to stay afloat. The final verse reveals that the singer's happiness is found in the eyes of their lover, and that they're dreaming about it, hoping that their lover will wake up happy and offer them love.
The song Felicidade is a beautiful exploration of the human experience of joy and sorrow. It acknowledges that happiness is not a constant state, that it's often elusive and fragile, and that it requires effort and work to achieve. The song also recognizes the reality that for many people, happiness is a luxury that is not often afforded to them. The contrast between the hopeful and romantic final verse, and the more realistic and melancholic verses that precede it, adds depth and complexity to the song's message.
Line by Line Meaning
Tristeza não tem fim
Sadness is a never-ending feeling
Felicidade sim
Happiness, on the other hand, is possible
A felicidade é como a gota
Happiness is like a dewdrop
De orvalho numa pétala de flor
On a flower petal it rests, shimmering gently
Brilha tranqüila depois de leve oscila
It glows calmly after a light sway
E cai como uma lágrima de amor
And falls like a tear of love
A felicidade do pobre parece
The happiness of the poor seems
A grande ilusão do carnaval
Like a big carnival illusion
A gente trabalha o ano inteiro
We work the whole year
Por um momento de sonho
For a moment of dreaming
Pra fazer a fantasia
To create the fantasy
De rei ou de pirata ou jardineira
Of a king, a pirate or a gardener
Pra tudo se acabar na quarta-feira
Only for everything to end on Wednesday
A felicidade é como a pluma
Happiness is like a feather
Que o vento vai levando pelo ar
That the wind carries through the air
Voa tão leve más tem a vida breve
It flies so lightly but has a short life
Precisa que haja vento sem parar
It needs the wind to blow non-stop
A minha felicidade está sonhando
My happiness is dreaming
Nos olhos da minha namorada
In the eyes of my girlfriend
É como esta noite, pasando, pasando
It is like this night, passing, passing
Em busca da madrugada
In search of dawn
Falem baixo, por favor
Speak softly, please
Pra que ela acorde alegre com o dia
So that she wakes up happy with the day
Oferecendo beijos de amor
Offering kisses of love
Lyrics © Tratore
Written by: Tom Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Sanfordmbcs
Minha principal intérprete!
Expressão corporal e voz únicos!
Bethânia, gratidão por tanta felicidade e harmonia!
@ruthhelenasouza6254
A voz da Bethânia é sobrenatural, divina, maravilhosa, sem palavras para descrever....
@konchagutierrez8792
Tiene una voz maravillosa increible
@AlbertoNogueiraMPB
Música eternamente linda!! Lembrando do Orfeu Negro. Só aqui para ouvir essas maravilhas.
@AparecidaSobral
Divinaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Eternaaaaa Voz da Magestral Maria Bethânia..lindaaaáaaa interpretação vivaaa bossa Nova ☺️😇😘😙😗😆😀😃😄😅😋🤣😂😊😉😁🥰🤗🙂🙏🏾🙌🏾😚😘🙂🤗🤩🥰😊😋😉🙌🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
@claudiogiesteira1150
Voz sagrada, arranjo caprichado e uma beleza dessas da poesia de Vinícius! Uma das mais belas interpretações dessa música num disco inesquecível!
@radhavitoriasantana3275
Quanta poesia interpretada por Bethania , uma grande magia que nos deixa com o coração enternecido
@RonenNissan
The most beautiful arrangement of this incredible song, with a mesmerizing performance by Maria Bethania
@idelvanadelino8220
Para sempre: Maria Betânia ! ... 👏👏👏
@RonenNissan
The best version of this eternal song