Caetano Veloso

Born in 1942 in a small town near Salvador, Bahia in North Eastern Brazil, he took an early interest in music. Moving to Rio in the mid-60s his confidence and originality quickly translated into success. But even as he was emerging as a performer and songwriter, Veloso was also on his way to becoming a Brazilian political and cultural icon: in the late 60s he and a group of friends from Bahia, including Gilberto Gil, created Tropicalismo, a musical and socio-artistic movement that shook Brazilian culture and civic order and pushed a nation then on the margins of world politics and economics into the pop avant-garde. After a brief spell in prison in 1968 Veloso and Gil went into exile for several years, and Veloso settled mostly in London. During this period they both continued to release albums in Brazil and when they returned in 1972 they were even bigger stars than when they had left.

Veloso's artistic brilliance partly lies in his ability to appropriate popular sounds, such as mainstream rock and jazz instrumentation, without letting contemporary technique overwhelm his own personal style. His many albums embrace successive waves of pop music, from bossa nova to blues, acid rock and folk balladry. Veloso skillfully uses each style to frame his calm, conversational vocals (which in turn owe a huge debt to the cool, suave delivery of bossa nova legend, Joao Gilberto.) His lyrics are complex and allusive and he is considered one of the great songwriter-poets of the Portuguese language. Veloso has written several books, including the critically acclaimed Tropical Truth, his memoir about the Tropicalismo movement which was published across the world 2004. He has also composed a string of hits written specifically for others, and much music for stage and film.

"Caetano Veloso is, quite simply, the nearest thing to genius in popular music at the moment." The Sunday Times

We administer music publishing rights for Caetano Veloso in the UK and Ireland.