I’m Crazy for You, America
By Liana Alagemovits
Brazilian Press
Trying to describe Caetano Veloso and his work to those unfamiliar with
him is probably like trying to describe the smell and taste of a perfectly
ripe red strawberry to someone who’s never even seen one. Born in the state
of Bahia in 1942 in Santo Amaro da Purificação, Caetano has
always been a bit enigmatic and just slightly beyond easy definition.
Following his sister Maria Bethânia to Rio de Janeiro in the early
1960’s, he quickly achieved fame when she recorded his compositions for
a musical play. João Gilberto heavily influenced his singing, but
it was Caetano’s own extraordinary ability as a composer, which soon earned
him a well-deserved reputation as a provocateur. As a restless intellectual,
he states that "My role is to change people’s minds."
Constantly forging new paths found him at the forefront of the radical
Tropicália movement of the late 1960’s, along with Gilberto Gil,
Gal Costa and Maria Bethânia. This movement mixed foreign elements
with Brazilian music, but was not readily accepted by their nationalistic
audiences.
The Tropicália movement however affected other aspects of Brazilian
culture and arts as well, influencing theatre, poetry and film. The new
style of music also succeeded in disturbing the military dictatorship who
feared that the movement had too great an influence over Brazilian youth.
Caetano and Gil were both jailed, and subsequently exiled to England for
several years, where they also recorded and performed.
Upon his return to Brazil, Caetano found himself to be considered a
symbol of resistance to the government by many who had not even liked him
during Tropicália. Always ready to defy expectations, Caetano danced
like Carmen Miranda in his first show, shocking the audience with his androgynous
behavior. He continued exploring musical styles, always weaving his inquisitive
words with melodies together in beautiful counterpoint. His albums experimented
with old styles to create new ones, always expanding the possibilities.
Fairly nationalistic in regard to music, Caetano was also responsible for
the comeback of several forgotten Brazilian musicians of the 1960’s like
Luiz Gonzaga. By the 1980’s, Caetano had achieved full popular acceptance,
and his songs were finding their way into other artists’ work. During this
period, his work became more poetic, including his first U.S. album released
in 1987, Caetano Veloso, in which he plays songs from the two previous
decades accompanied only by his acoustic guitar. In 1993, Caetano and Gil
celebrated 25 years of Tropicália and 30 years of friendship with
a world tour and the release of Tropicália 2.
In 1994 Caetano, always seeking self-renovation, undertook a major project
to reaffirm his relationship with Latin American music. Having grown up
listening to the melodies of his parents’ generation in the 1930’s and
1940’s, he put together a collection of music from a period during which
Brazil was more vigorously asserting its latinidade. The result
was Fina Estampa, an album sung entirely in Spanish, which won him
the Prêmio Sharp award as Best Foreign Album. It includes songs and
ballads from famous Latin American composers, which later became classics,
such as the title song "Fina Estampa" by Peruvian Chabuca Grande,
"Vete de Mi" by Argentines Virgilio & Homero Exposito, and
"Tonada de Luna Llena" by Venezuelan Simon Diaz.
South American and European tours followed, and now Caetano is bringing
his show Fina Estampa to the United States for performances in Puerto
Rico, Miami, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The group
includes longtime Jobim collaborator and cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, guitarist
Luiz Brasil, Zeca Assumpção on bass, and Marcelo Brasil on
percussion/drums, all seated in front of a reproduction of a Diego Rivera
mural, Panamerican Unity, depicting artisans and musicians. The
original fresco is on display at San Francisco’s City College, so it is
fitting that the U.S. tour ends in California before heading to Japan.
The show definitely reaffirms Caetano’s love affair with the Spanish-speaking
world, yet the repertoire includes Gilberto Gil’s "Soy Loco por Ti,
America" as well as enough of his own favorites to satisfy most die-hard
Caetano fans.
Caetano’s US tour
June 16 – Jackie Gleason Theatre, Miami Beach (305)673-7300
June 17 – Caribe Hilton Hotel, San Juan/Puerto Rico
June 21 – Avery Fisher Hall, New York JVC Jazz Festival (212)721-6500
June 22 & 23 – Jordan Hall, Boston (617)536-2412
June 25 – Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles (818)566-1111
June 27 – Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco (415)392-4400
Discography
Domingo, Polygram, 1967
Caetano Veloso, Philips, 1968
Tropicália ou Panis et Circensis Gil, Mutantes, Nara,
Gal e Caetano, Polygram, 1968
Caetano Veloso, Philips, 1969
Caetano Veloso, Philips, 1971
Araçá Azul, Philips, 1972
Transa, Philips, 1972
Barra 69 Caetano e Gil ao Vivo na Bahia, Philips, 1972
Caetano e Chico Juntos e ao Vivo, Phonogram, 1972
Temporada de Verão ao Vivo na Bahia – Caetano, Gal, Gil,
Phonogram, 1974
Qualquer Coisa, Philips, 1975
Jóia, Philips, 1975
Doces Bárbaros – Caetano, Gal, Gil, Maria Bethânia,
Two volumes,
Polygram, 1976
Muitos Carnavais, Philips, 1977
Bicho, Philips, 1977
Muito, Philips, 1978
Cinema Transcendental, Polygram, 1979
Brasil – João Gilberto, Caetano, Gil, Phonogram, 1981
Outras Palavras, Polygram, 1981
Cores, Nomes, Polygram, 1982
Uns, Polygram, 1983
Velô, Polygram, 1984
Caetano Veloso, Nonesuch, 1986
Totalmente Demais, Polygram, 1986
Caetano, Polygram, 1987
Melhores Momentos de Chico e Caetano – Chico Buarque, Caetano
Veloso, Jorge Ben, Astor Piazzola, Elza Soares, Beth Carvalho, Paulo Ricardo,
Tom Jobim, Cazuza, Rita Lee and Luiz Caldas, Sigla, 1986
Caetano Veloso Circuladô, Polygram, 1991
Caetano e Gil – Tropicália 2, Polygram, 1993
Fina Estampa ao Vivo, Polygram, 1995
O Leãozinho
Caetano Veloso
Gosto muito de te ver, leãozinho
Caminhando sob o sol
Gosto muito de você, leãozinho
Para desentristecer, leãozinho
O meu coração tão só
Basta eu encontrar você no caminho
Um filhote de leão, raio da manhã
Arastando o meu olhar como um ímã
O meu coração é o sol pai de toda a cor
Quando ele lhe doura a pele ao léu
Gosto de te ver ao sol, leãozinho
De te ver entrar no mar
Tua pele, tua luz, tua juba
Gosto de ficar ao sol, leãozinho
De molhar minha juba
De estar perto de você e entrar numa
The Little Lion
I like to see you very much, little lion
Walking in the sun
I like you very much, little lion.
To make happy, little lion,
My lonely heart
It’s enough to find you along the way
A lion’s cub, a morning shine
Dragging my eyes like a magnet
My heart is the sun, father of all colors
When he tans his skin out in the open
I like to see you in the sun, little lion,
To see you go in the ocean
Your skin, your light, your mane
I like to stay in the sun, little lion,
To wet my mane
To be near you and be cool
Soy Loco por Ti, America
Gilberto Gil/Capinam
Soy loco por ti, America
Yo voy traer una mujer playera
Que su nombre sea Marti
Que su nombre sea Marti
Soy loco por ti de amores
Tenga como colores
La espuma blanca de Latino-America
Y el cielo como bandera
Soy loco por ti, America
Soy loco por ti de amores
Sorriso de quase nuvem
Os rios, canções, o medo
O corpo cheio de estrelas
Com o corpo cheio de estrelas
Como se chama a amante
Esse país sem nome,
Esse tango, esse rancho,
Esse povo
Dizei-me, arde
O fogo de conhecê-la
O fogo de conhecê-la
Soy loco por ti, America
Soy loco por ti de amores
El nombre del hombre muerto
Ya no se puede decirlo,
Quien sabe
Antes que o dia arrebente
Antes que o dia arrebente
El nombre del hombre muerto
Antes que a definitiva noite
Se espalhe em Latino-America
El nombre del hombre es pueblo
El nombre del hombre es pueblo
Soy loco por ti, America
Soy loco por ti de amores
Espero o amanhã que cante
El nombre del hombre muerto
Não sejam palavras tristes
Soy loco por ti de amores
Um poema ainda existe
Com palmeiras, com trincheiras
Canções de guerra, quem sabe
Canções do mar
Ai, hasta te conmover
Ai, hasta te conmover
Soy loco por ti, America
Soy loco por ti de amores
Estou aqui de passagem
Sei que adiante
Um dia vou morrer
De susto, de bala ou vício
De susto, de bala ou vício
Num precipício de luzes
Entre saudades, soluços
Eu vou morrer de bruços
Nos braços, nos olhos
Nos braços de uma mulher
Nos braços de uma mulher
Mais apaixonada ainda
Dentro dos braços da camponesa
Guerrilheira, manequim,
Ai de mim
Nos braços de quem me queira
Nos braços de quem me queira
Soy loco por ti, America
Soy loco por ti de amores
I’m Crazy for You, America
I’m crazy for you, America
I’m will bring a coastal woman
Whose name will be Marti
Whose name will be Marti
I’m crazy for you with love
As with colors
The white foam of Latin America
And the sky as a flag
I’m crazy for you, America
I’m crazy for you, with love
Smile of almost clouds
The rivers, the songs, the fear
The body full of stars
The body full of stars
Like you call the lover
This country with no name,
This tango, this hut
These people
Tell me, it burns
The fire of meeting her
The fire of meeting her
I’m crazy for you, America
I’m crazy for you with love
The name of the dead man
Cannot be said, who knows?
Before the day explodes
Before the day explodes
The name of the dead man
Before the final night ends
It expands in Latin America
The name of the man is people
The name of the man is people
I’m crazy for you, America
I’m crazy for you with love
I wait for the future to sing
The name of the dead man
Not to be sad words
I’m crazy for you with love
A poem still exists
With palm trees, with trenches
War songs, who knows
Ocean songs
Alas, until it touches you
Alas, until it touches you
I’m crazy for you, America
I’m crazy for you with love
I’m here, only passing by
I know later, one day I will die
Scared, shot or addicted
Scared, shot or addicted
In an abyss of lights
Between nostalgia and sorrows
I will die facing down
In the arms, in the eyes
In the arms of a woman
In the arms of a woman
Even more passionate
In the arms of the country warrior
Mannequin, woe is me
In the arms of someone who loves me
In the arms of someone who loves me
I’m crazy for you, America
I’m crazy for you with love