Caetano Veloso facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caetano Veloso
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Veloso in 2019
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Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso
7 August 1942 Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil
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| Years active | 1961-present |
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Andrea Gadelha
(m. 1967–1983)Paula Lavigne
(m. 1986–2004) |
| Children | 4; including Moreno |
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| Relatives | Maria Bethânia (sister) |
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| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
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Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (born 7 August 1942) is a famous Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, and writer. He is also known for being a political activist. Veloso first became known in the 1960s for his part in a Brazilian music movement called Tropicália. This movement included theatre, poetry, and music. It started when Brazil was under a military government.
Since then, Veloso has continued to be a very creative and popular artist. He has won many awards, including nine Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammy Awards. In 2012, he was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.
Caetano Veloso was one of seven children. He was born in Santo Amaro da Purificação, in the state of Bahia, Brazil. As a college student, he moved to Salvador, the capital city of Bahia. Soon after, he won a music contest and signed his first record deal. He helped start the Tropicália movement with other musicians and artists, including his sister Maria Bethânia.
However, the Brazilian military government did not like Veloso's music and his political actions. In 1969, he was arrested along with his friend and fellow musician Gilberto Gil. They were later sent away from Brazil and lived in London for two years. In 1972, Veloso returned to Brazil and started recording and performing again. He became popular outside Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s.
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Caetano Veloso's Early Life and Music
Caetano Veloso was born in Santo Amaro da Purificação, Brazil. He was the fifth of seven children. Growing up, he was very interested in art, especially literature and filmmaking. But he focused mostly on music.
The musical style of bossa nova and its famous artist João Gilberto greatly influenced Veloso. He was 17 years old when he first heard Gilberto. Veloso calls Gilberto his "supreme master" because he brought new ideas to Brazilian music. As a teenager, Veloso moved to Salvador, a city known for its Afro-Brazilian culture and music.
In 1965, Veloso moved to Rio de Janeiro with his sister Maria Bethânia, who was also a musician. Soon after, Veloso won a contest for his song "Um Dia" and signed with Philips Records.
The Tropicália Movement
On 21 October 1967, Veloso performed his song "Alegria, Alegria" at a music festival. He won fourth prize and received a standing ovation. This performance, along with one by his friend Gilberto Gil, was important. It was one of the first times rock bands played at this festival.
During this time, Veloso, Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, and Os Mutantes created "Tropicalismo." This movement mixed Brazilian pop music with rock and roll and experimental music. Veloso said the movement wanted to be different. It was not "defensive" like the military government, which was against the movement.
The main album of the Tropicália movement was Tropicália: ou Panis et Circencis. It was released in 1968. This album brought together Veloso, Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, and Gal Costa. The album cover was a nod to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The Tropicália artists faced some challenges. Some students did not like Tropicália. They thought it made Brazilian traditional music too commercial by adding influences from other cultures, especially from the United States.
In September 1968, Veloso performed at another festival in Rio. He wore a unique costume and sang. Some students in the audience booed and threw things at the stage. Three days later, he performed a new song called "É Proibido Proibir" ("It is Forbidden to Forbid"). The students booed even louder. Veloso stopped singing and gave a powerful speech. He told the students that if they were so conservative in art, Brazil would be in trouble. He then left the stage with Gilberto Gil. Even though Tropicália was controversial, it brought new and diverse elements to Brazilian music.
Veloso studied philosophy in college. This influenced his art and his views on life. His songs were often censored or banned by the military government because of his views.
Arrest and Time in London
In October 1968, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil performed in Rio de Janeiro. A journalist wrongly reported that they had sung the Brazilian National Anthem in a disrespectful way. On 27 December 1968, Veloso and Gil were arrested without a trial. This happened shortly after the government passed a law that took away some basic rights.
Veloso and Gil were held in prison for three months. Then they were under house arrest for four more months. They were eventually released but had to leave the country. They spent the next few years living in London, England. Veloso said that London felt "dark" and he felt "far away from myself." However, they used this time to improve their music.
Caetano Veloso's Music Career
When Veloso returned to Brazil in 1972, his music often mixed international styles with Brazilian folk music and rhythms. His popularity grew outside Brazil in the 1980s, especially in Europe and Africa. His albums released in the United States helped him reach a bigger audience.
In 1993, Veloso and Gilberto Gil released an album called Tropicalia 2. This was to celebrate 25 years of the Tropicália movement. One song, "Haiti," talked about important social issues in Haiti and Brazil, such as poverty and homelessness.
By 2004, Veloso was a very respected and productive international pop star. He had released over 50 recordings. His songs were featured in movies like Pedro Almodóvar's Hable con ella and Frida. He even performed at the 75th Academy Awards for the movie Frida. In 2002, Veloso wrote a book about his early life and the Tropicália movement called Tropical Truth: A Story of Music and Revolution in Brazil.
His first all-English album was A Foreign Sound (2004). It included a cover of Nirvana's "Come as You Are" and songs from the Great American Songbook.
Veloso has also contributed songs to albums that raise money for AIDS research. These include Red Hot + Rio (1996) and Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon (1998). In 2011, he contributed two more songs to Red Hot + Rio 2.
His album Cê (2006) won two Latin Grammy Awards. He won for best singer-songwriter and for Best Portuguese Song, "Não Me Arrependo."
Caetano Veloso has won more Latin Grammy Awards (nine) and Grammy Awards (two) than any other Brazilian performer. In 2012, he was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year.
Many people consider Veloso to be "one of the greatest songwriters of the century." He is seen as a pop musician, poet, and activist. His importance in international music is compared to artists like Bob Dylan and John Lennon.
In August 2016, Caetano Veloso performed at the 2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro. He sang "Isto aqui, o que é?" with singers Anitta and Gilberto Gil. In May 2018, Veloso performed at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, Portugal. He sang with the 2017 winner, Salvador Sobral. His live album Ofertório (Ao Vivo) (recorded with his sons Moreno, Zeca, and Tom) was named one of the best Brazilian albums of 2018.
In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine listed Veloso among the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Caetano Veloso's Personal Life
Veloso married actress Andrea Gadelha (also known as Dedé) on 21 November 1967. Their son Moreno was born in 1972. In 1979, their daughter Júlia was born early and sadly passed away shortly after. Veloso and Dedé separated in 1983.
In 1986, Veloso married Paula Lavigne. They had two sons, Zeca Lavigne Veloso (born 1992) and Tom Lavigne Veloso (born 1997). This marriage lasted twenty years. After their separation in 2004, they continued to work together. In 2016, the couple reunited. Veloso's 1989 album Estrangeiro includes songs inspired by and dedicated to Dedé and Paula.
Veloso was raised in a religious Catholic family. Two of Veloso's sons have become members of a church. Veloso attended his children's baptism, saying that "what is good for them is good for me."
Caetano Veloso's Musical Style
Veloso's home state, Bahia, has played a big part in his music. He praises Bahia for its importance in Brazil's history and its contributions to Brazilian music. He has mentioned Amália Rodrigues, Cole Porter, and the Rolling Stones as musical influences. Most importantly, he credits João Gilberto as a major influence.
Veloso says he finds it hard to compare his music from the 1960s (during Tropicália) to his current work. However, he feels that he has been able to create higher quality music later in his career. He believes he is "better at everything" now.
Discography
Studio albums
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Live albums
Soundtracks
Compilations
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Awards and Honors
See also
In Spanish: Caetano Veloso para niños
