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.
Começaria Tudo Outra Vez
Maria Bethânia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Começaria tudo outra vez,
Se preciso fosse meu amor
A chama no meu peito ainda queima,
Saiba, nada foi em vão
A cuba-libre da coragem em minha mão
A dama de lilás me machucando o coração
E então eu cantaria a noite inteira
Como eu já cantei e cantarei
As coisas todas que já tive,
Tenho e sei que um dia terei
A fé no que virá e a alegria
De poder olhar pra trás
E ver que voltaria com você
De novo a viver nesse imenso salão
Ao som desse bolero, a vida, vamos nós
E não estamos sós, veja meu bem
A orquestra nos espera, por favor
Mais uma vez, recomeçar.
The song 'Começaria Tudo Outra Vez' by Maria Bethânia is about the enduring nature of love and the desire to start anew. The lyrics convey a sense of determination and resilience in the face of adversity, with the opening line stating that the singer would start everything all over again if they had to. The burning passion within them has not diminished, and they affirm that nothing was in vain.
The imagery of the lyrics is powerful, as the singer sings about holding the 'cuba-libre of courage' in their hand and being hurt by the 'lady in lilac'. They also describe the intense sensation of being close to their lover, as their bodies are 'glued together'. The singer expresses their willingness to sing all night long, just as they have before, about all the things they have, had, and will someday have.
The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer expressing faith in the future, joy in being able to look back, and the happiness of being able to live once again in the expansive ballroom of life. The bolero music that accompanies the song emphasizes the romantic nature of the lyrics and reinforces the concept of a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
Começaria tudo outra vez,
I would start it all over again,
Se preciso fosse meu amor
If my love was necessary,
A chama no meu peito ainda queima,
The flame in my heart still burns,
Saiba, nada foi em vão
Know that nothing was in vain,
A cuba-libre da coragem em minha mão
The cuba-libre of courage in my hand,
A dama de lilás me machucando o coração
The lady in lilac hurting my heart,
A febre de sentir seu corpo inteiro coladinho ao meu
The fever of feeling your entire body glued to mine,
E então eu cantaria a noite inteira
And then I would sing the whole night,
Como eu já cantei e cantarei
Like I have already sung and will sing again,
As coisas todas que já tive,
All the things I have had,
Tenho e sei que um dia terei
I have and know that one day I will have again,
A fé no que virá e a alegria
The faith in what will come and the joy,
De poder olhar pra trás
Of being able to look back,
E ver que voltaria com você
And see that I would come back with you,
De novo a viver nesse imenso salão
To live again in this immense ballroom,
Ao som desse bolero, a vida, vamos nós
To the sound of this bolero, life, here we go,
E não estamos sós, veja meu bem
And we are not alone, see my dear,
A orquestra nos espera, por favor
The orchestra is waiting for us, please,
Mais uma vez, recomeçar.
One more time, restart.
Contributed by Jonathan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Railma Carvalho
Aplausos para essa extraordinária cantora, para essa música do grande Gonzaguinha. Lindíssima, atemporal.
Rodrigo Lopez
Sério como não te amar Betânia? passara um milênio pra nascer vc denovo, obrigado por me ajudar sempre em momentos dificies te ouço sinto Deus me tocando nas várias formas de chegar em mim, com suas obras, gratidão
Cloves Cordeiro
Que bonito ler isso
Ricardo Pereira
Gigante... Absurda! ÚNICA ⚡❤️💙
Darcy Arruda Sampaio Sucupira
Betânia, intérprete divina, e esta letra/música impecáveis....Em eterna paixão, eu adoraria voltar aquele salão e dançar ,suados e felizes....
Samuel Azevedo
meu Deus que música é essa, essa mulher me mata em cada interpretação
ruben daniel
Maria Betania, única!!!
Marcelo Augusto Barreto
A coisa mais perfeita que já escutei na minha vida
Karla@gmail.com Karla0123
Absurdo...Magistral..Não canso-me de ouvi -la!
Hanrico Crz
É pra dizer o quê? Nada só contemplar!
Melhor assitir mais de mil vezes... A cantora da minha alma. A que me faz viver, a que canta o tema de amor, meu e de minha saudosa mãe. Bethânia, aliás Dona Maria Bethânia, obrigado por vc existir... Assistindo mais mil vezes...