Maria Bethânia Viana Teles Veloso (June 18, 1946, Santo Amaro da Purificaçã… Read Full Bio ↴Maria Bethânia Viana Teles Veloso (June 18, 1946, Santo Amaro da Purificação, Bahia, Brazil), professionally known as Maria Bethânia, is a Brazilian singer and occasional poet and songwriter, having acquired the title of "Abelha Rainha" (Queen Bee) throughout her career. She is the second best selling Brazilian female singer of all time, with more than 24 million albums sold, considered to be one of the greatest interpreters in the history of Brazilian popular music.

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.

Noite de Estrelas
Maria Bethânia Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Minha vida era um palco iluminado
E eu vivia vestido de dourado
Palhaço das perdidas ilusões
Cheio dos guisos falsos da alegria
Andei cantando a minha fantasia
Entre as palmas febris dos corações

Meu barracão lá no morro do salgueiro

Tinha um cantar alegre de um viveiro
Foste a sonoridade que acabou
E hoje quando do Sol a claridade
Cobre meu barracão sinto saudade
Da mulher pomba-rola que voou

Nossas roupas comuns dependuradas
Nas cordas qual bandeiras agitadas
Pareciam um estranho festival
Festa dos nossos trapos coloridos
A mostrar que nos morros mal vestidos
É sempre feriado nacional

A porta do barraco era sem trinco
E a Lua furando nosso zinco
Salpicava de estrelas nosso chão
E tu, tu pisavas nos astros distraída
Sem saber que a ventura dessa vida
É a cabrocha, o luar, o violão

A porta do barraco era sem trinco
E a Lua furando nosso zinco
Salpicava de estrelas nosso chão
E tu, tu pisavas nos astros distraída

Sem saber que a ventura dessa vida
É a cabrocha, o luar e o violão

Overall Meaning

The song "Chão De Estrelas" by Maria Bethânia is a nostalgic tale of a circus performer who used to live a golden life on the illuminated stage. He wore golden clothes and was the jester of forgotten dreams, entertaining crowds with his fanciful song. However, he now lives in a shack on the Salgueiro hill, where the only sound comes from the birds. The memory of a passionate lover who has flown away still haunts him. The lyrics describe how their common clothes were hung up, like colorful flags fluttering on the wires of the shack, announcing that, in the shabby slums, every day is a holiday. The door of the shack had no latch, and the moon seeping through the cracks of the zinc roof would sprinkle the floor with stars. The lover would walk on them absentmindedly, unaware that the joy of life consists only of a cabrocha (slang for a girl from the favela), the moon, and the guitar.

The song's lyrics are full of metaphors and symbolism, creating a contrast between the golden, artificial world of the circus performer and the simple, natural beauty of life on the hill. The shack is a symbol of poverty, but also of simplicity and freedom. The hanging clothes represent the hope and cheerfulness of those who have nothing, and the stars on the floor symbolize the beauty that can be found in even the humblest of places. The singer's voice is emotional and powerful, conveying the nostalgic feelings of the circus performer who has lost everything but his memories.

Line by Line Meaning

Minha vida era um palco iluminado
My life was an illuminated stage

E eu vivia vestido de dourado
And I used to live dressed in gold

Palhaço das perdidas ilusões
Clown of lost illusions

Cheio dos guisos falsos da alegria
Full of false bells of joy

Andei cantando a minha fantasia
I walked singing my fantasy

Entre as palmas febris dos corações
Amid the feverish clapping of hearts

Meu barracão lá no morro do salgueiro
My shack up in the Salgueiro hill

Tinha um cantar alegre de um viveiro
Had a joyful singing like a birdhouse

Foste a sonoridade que acabou
You were the sound that ended

E hoje quando do Sol a claridade
And today when the light of the Sun

Cobre meu barracão sinto saudade
Covers my shack I feel homesick