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 Moça Do Sónho
Maria Bethânia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A moça em contraluz
Arrisquei perguntar: quem és?
Mas fraquejou a voz
Sem jeito eu lhe pegava as mãos
Como quem desatasse um nó
Soprei seu rosto sem pensar
E o rosto se desfez em pó
Cantando a meia voz
Súbito perguntei: quem és?
Mas oscilou a luz
Fugia devagar de mim
E quando a segurei, gemeu
O seu vestido se partiu
E o rosto já não era o seu
Há de haver algum lugar
Um confuso casarão
Onde os sonhos serão reais
E a vida não
Por ali reinaria meu bem
Com seus risos, seus ais, sua tez
E uma cama onde à noite
Sonhasse comigo
Talvez
Um lugar deve existir
Uma espécie de bazar
Onde os sonhos extraviados
Vão parar
Entre escadas que fogem dos pés
E relógios que rodam pra trás
Se eu pudesse encontrar meu amor
Não voltava
Jamais
The lyrics of Maria Bethânia's song A Moça Do Sónho can be interpreted as a dream-like narrative of a man encountering a mysterious woman. The first verse reveals the man's fascination with the woman in backlight, causing him to take a risk and ask who she is. However, the woman's voice fails her, and the man takes her hands to console her. He blows on her face without thinking, causing the woman's face to disintegrate into dust. The second verse reveals that the woman has returned, singing softly, and the man asks her who she is once again. However, the woman's light flickers, and she slowly moves away from him. He grabs her, causing the woman to moan and her dress to tear apart. The woman's face is no longer the same as before, and the song ends with the man wishing that there was a place where dreams could become real and his lover could be with him forever.
The song can be interpreted as an allegory for the ephemeral and transient nature of love and the human experience. The man's fascination with the woman and their brief encounter highlights the fleeting nature of infatuation, and the woman's eventual disappearance emphasizes the impermanence of the human condition. The mention of a place where dreams become real and the human experience is eternal reinforces the idea that love and happiness are illusive but worth pursuing.
Line by Line Meaning
Súbito me encantou
Suddenly, I was enchanted
A moça em contraluz
By the girl in silhouette
Arrisquei perguntar: quem és?
I dared to ask: who are you?
Mas fraquejou a voz
But her voice faltered
Sem jeito eu lhe pegava as mãos
I awkwardly took her hands
Como quem desatasse um nó
Like untying a knot
Soprei seu rosto sem pensar
I blew on her face without thinking
E o rosto se desfez em pó
And her face turned into dust
Por encanto voltou
But by magic, it returned
Cantando a meia voz
Singing softly
Súbito perguntei: quem és?
Suddenly, I asked again: who are you?
Mas oscilou a luz
But the light flickered
Fugia devagar de mim
She slowly ran away from me
E quando a segurei, gemeu
And when I caught her, she moaned
O seu vestido se partiu
Her dress ripped
E o rosto já não era o seu
And her face was no longer hers
Há de haver algum lugar
There must be a place
Um confuso casarão
A confusing mansion
Onde os sonhos serão reais
Where dreams will be real
E a vida não
And life won't matter
Por ali reinaria meu bem
My love would reign there
Com seus risos, seus ais, sua tez
With her laughter, her sighs, her complexion
E uma cama onde à noite
And a bed where at night
Sonhasse comigo
She would dream of me
Talvez
Maybe
Um lugar deve existir
A place must exist
Uma espécie de bazar
A kind of bazaar
Onde os sonhos extraviados
Where lost dreams go
Vão parar
End up
Entre escadas que fogem dos pés
Among stairs that lead nowhere
E relógios que rodam pra trás
And clocks that turn backwards
Se eu pudesse encontrar meu amor
If I could find my love
Não voltava
I wouldn't come back
Jamais
Never
Writer(s): Chico Buarque, Edu Lobo
Contributed by Dylan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michel E. Dos Santos
essa mulher é uma Deusas encarnada, que perfeição
Lúcia Lima
Verdade
ANDRÉ D
Tenho essa mesma impressão!
👏👏👏❤
T Albuquerque
Essa interpretação me arrepia a alma. Bethânia é sem igual <3
Rogerio Cavalcanti
Se é Bethânia a gente dá like antes mesmo de saber o que é e começar e, depois que a gente vê não se decepciona nem se desencanta e ainda fica querendo dá uns mil likes depois de assistir.
ANDRÉ D
Acima do bem e do mal,do divino e do profano.....Bethânia
Imortal
Raimundo Rodrigues
Essa mulher e seu repertório musical são um encanto encantado. adoro as poesias que ela recita.
GABS Consultoria Imobiliária
Imensurável! 💙
Mauricio Ronald
Eu amo essa interpretação de Bethânia.
Maria De Fatima
É linda e canta com a alma