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.
Estrela Do Meu Céu
Maria Bethânia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tanto me sinto só
Oh, mãe, minha mãe
Estrela do meu céu
Que nos conduz com sua luz
Eterna e terna
O encanto de toda paz
Me traz você
Oh, mãe, minha mãe
Cadê a sua voz
Oh, mãe, minha mãe
No canto pelos campos
No salão da casa grande
A terra, a terra
Procuro a tua mão
Cadê, cadê
Todas as alegrias
Todas as melodias
Todas as águas
Todos os sonhos belos
Que realizo são você
Oh, mãe, minha mãe
Eu nunca serei só
Adeus, minha mãe
A vida deve tanto
A sua vida
Que cantar será
Vida eterna
Vida eterna
Vida eterna
The lyrics of Maria Bethânia's song "Estrela Do Meu Céu" are a tribute to the singer's mother. Addressing her mother as "estrela do meu céu" (star of my sky), Bethânia describes the loneliness she feels without her mother's presence and voice. She recalls the memories of her mother's singing in the fields and in the house, and looks for her mother's hand in the soil. Bethânia recognizes that her mother is the source of all her joy, music, and dreams, and that she will never be alone as long as her mother's spirit remains with her. The song ends with a beautiful declaration that singing will be the eternal life of her mother, to whom she owes so much.
The song "Estrela Do Meu Céu" is a tribute to Maria Bethânia's mother, Dona Canô. Dona Canô was a beloved figure in Brazil, known for her musicality, warmth, and wisdom. She died in 2012, at the age of 105.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, mãe, minha mãe
The singer, Maria Bethânia, addresses her mother with great affection and longing.
Tanto me sinto só
The singer feels very lonely and wishes for her mother's comfort.
Estrela do meu céu
The mother is referred to as the guiding star in the singer's life.
Que nos conduz com sua luz
The mother's presence and guidance is compared to the light of a star in the sky.
Eterna e terna
The singer describes her mother's love as eternal and gentle.
O encanto de toda paz
The mother brings peace and tranquility to the singer's life.
Me traz você
The singer finds comfort and solace in the memory of her mother.
Cadê a sua voz
The singer longs to hear her mother's voice once again.
No canto pelos campos
The mother used to sing in the fields and the singer remembers those moments fondly.
No salão da casa grande
The mother used to sing in the big house and the singer remembers the joy that it brought.
A terra, a terra
The singer searches for her mother's presence in the earth and nature around her.
Procuro a tua mão
The singer looks for her mother's guidance and support.
Todas as alegrias
The singer attributes all her joys and happiness to her mother's love and influence.
Todas as melodias
The mother's voice and songs are the source of all the beautiful music in the singer's life.
Todas as águas
All the rivers and waters in the world cannot quench the singer's longing for her mother.
Todos os sonhos belos
The mother is the inspiration for all the singer's beautiful dreams.
Que realizo são você
The singer sees her mother's influence in all her accomplishments and successes.
Eu nunca serei só
The singer believes that her mother's love will always be with her, even when she is alone.
Adeus, minha mãe
The singer bids a sad farewell to her mother, who has passed away.
A vida deve tanto
The singer recognizes how much she owes to her mother's love and sacrifice in her upbringing.
Que cantar será
The singer vows to continue singing and honoring her mother's memory.
Vida eterna
The singer believes that her mother's legacy and love will live on forever.
Vida eterna
The singer repeats the phrase to emphasize the eternal nature of her mother's impact on her life.
Contributed by William P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.