Maria Bethânia
Encyclopedia
Maria Bethânia Vianna Telles Veloso (born 18 June 1946 in Santo Amaro da Purificação
, Bahia
Brazil
), better known as Maria Bethânia (maˈɾiɐ beˈtɐ̃niɐ), is a singer and sister of Caetano Veloso
. She started her career in Rio de Janeiro
in 1964 with the show "Opinião" ("Opinion"). Due to its popularity, and the popularity of her 1965 single "Carcará", the singer became a star in Brazil, with performances all over the country. She has released over 30 albums to date.
when she was 13 years old. The move allowed her to experience the bohemian
, intellectual circles of the city as well as to visit theaters. When she was 16, her brother Caetano Veloso
invited her to sing in a film for which he was producing the soundtrack
, but she refused. However, the film's director, Álvaro Guimarães, liked her voice and invited the young musician to perform in a 1963 performance of a Nélson Rodrigues
musical. She began performing again with her brother, as well as Gilberto Gil
, Gal Costa
, and Tom Zé
, at the opening of the Vila Velha Theater in the next year. During one of these performances, the bossa nova
musician Nara Leão
offered her an opportunity to take her place in a series of performances titled "Opinião". She released her first single, a protest song named "Carcará", in 1965, the same year as her brother released his first recording.
After releasing "Carcará" Bethânia returned from Rio de Janeiro
, where she had gone to attend college, to Bahia. This was to only be a brief visit, as around that time she was performing at nightclubs and other venues throughout Brazil. This song also got her an offer from an RCA Records
representative to record for the company. However Bethânia continually changed record labels throughout the 1970s. In 1973 Bethânia released Drama, Luz Da Noite, in which she performed traditional Brazilian songs, as well as incorporating literary elements. In 1977 Bethânia went on tour and released a gold-certified album, both with the name of Pássaro da Manhã. She released Álibi a year later which was also gold-certified with over a million copies sold. Around the end of the 1970s, Bethânia became more artistically conservative, moving away from the Tropicalismo
music her frequent collaborators, including Caetano Veloso
and Gilberto Gil
, had been playing. During the 1980s and '90s Bethânia continued to record and perform, with 1993's As Canções Que Você Fez Para Mim becoming the year's most successful album in Brazil.
In 2005, Música Popular Brasileira
supergroup
of the same name. It was recorded June 24 of that year at Anhembi Stadium in São Paulo. Its members were Gilberto Gil
, Caetano Veloso
, Maria Bethânia and Gal Costa, four of the biggest names in the history of the Music of Brazil
. The band was the subject of a 1977 documentary directed by Jom Tob Azulay
. In 1994, they performed a tribute concert to Mangueira school of samba
.
French filmmaker Georges Gachot completed a documentary film "Musica é perfume" about her which was worldwide distributed. In 2008 she recorded an album with the Cuban singer Omara Portuondo which was followed by a Live DVD
Maria Bethania in 2011 received permission from the Ministry of Culture of Brazil to make a poetry blog budgeted for $ 1.3 million Reais. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/tag/maria-bethania/
Santo Amaro, Bahia
Santo Amaro is a municipality in the state of Bahia in Brazil. The population in 2003 is 58,414, the density is 120.2/km² the area is 486 km²...
, Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
), better known as Maria Bethânia (maˈɾiɐ beˈtɐ̃niɐ), is a singer and sister of Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
. She started her career in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
in 1964 with the show "Opinião" ("Opinion"). Due to its popularity, and the popularity of her 1965 single "Carcará", the singer became a star in Brazil, with performances all over the country. She has released over 30 albums to date.
Biography
In her childhood, Bethânia had aspirations to become an actress. However, her mother was a musician, so music was prevalent in the Veloso household. Though Bethânia was born in Santo Amaro da Purifição, her family moved to Salvador, BahiaSalvador, Bahia
Salvador is the largest city on the northeast coast of Brazil and the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia. Salvador is also known as Brazil's capital of happiness due to its easygoing population and countless popular outdoor parties, including its street carnival. The first...
when she was 13 years old. The move allowed her to experience the bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
, intellectual circles of the city as well as to visit theaters. When she was 16, her brother Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
invited her to sing in a film for which he was producing the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, but she refused. However, the film's director, Álvaro Guimarães, liked her voice and invited the young musician to perform in a 1963 performance of a Nélson Rodrigues
Nélson Rodrigues
Nelson Falcão Rodrigues was a Brazilian playwright, journalist and novelist. In 1943, he helped usher in a new era in Brazilian theater with his play Vestido de Noiva , considered revolutionary for the complex exploration of its characters' psychology and its use of colloquial dialog...
musical. She began performing again with her brother, as well as Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
, Gal Costa
Gal Costa
Gal Costa is a Brazilian singer of popular music.-Early life:...
, and Tom Zé
Tom Zé
Tom Zé is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who was influential in the Tropicália movement of 1960s Brazil. After the peak of the Tropicália period, Zé went into relative obscurity: it was only in the 1990s, when the musician and label head David Byrne discovered an album recorded...
, at the opening of the Vila Velha Theater in the next year. During one of these performances, the bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
musician Nara Leão
Nara Leão
Nara Lofego Leão was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of Bye Bye Brasil....
offered her an opportunity to take her place in a series of performances titled "Opinião". She released her first single, a protest song named "Carcará", in 1965, the same year as her brother released his first recording.
After releasing "Carcará" Bethânia returned from Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, where she had gone to attend college, to Bahia. This was to only be a brief visit, as around that time she was performing at nightclubs and other venues throughout Brazil. This song also got her an offer from an RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
representative to record for the company. However Bethânia continually changed record labels throughout the 1970s. In 1973 Bethânia released Drama, Luz Da Noite, in which she performed traditional Brazilian songs, as well as incorporating literary elements. In 1977 Bethânia went on tour and released a gold-certified album, both with the name of Pássaro da Manhã. She released Álibi a year later which was also gold-certified with over a million copies sold. Around the end of the 1970s, Bethânia became more artistically conservative, moving away from the Tropicalismo
Tropicalismo
Tropicália, also known as Tropicalismo, is a Brazilian art movement that arose in the late 1960s and encompassed theatre, poetry, and music, among other forms. Tropicália was influenced by poesia concreta , a genre of Brazilian avant-garde poetry embodied in the works of Augusto de Campos, Haroldo...
music her frequent collaborators, including Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
and Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
, had been playing. During the 1980s and '90s Bethânia continued to record and perform, with 1993's As Canções Que Você Fez Para Mim becoming the year's most successful album in Brazil.
In 2005, Música Popular Brasileira
Música Popular Brasileira
Música Popular Brasileira or MPB designates a trend in post-Bossa Nova urban popular music. It is not a discrete genre but rather a constellation that combines original songwriting and updated versions of traditional Brazilian urban music styles like samba and samba-canção with contemporary...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
of the same name. It was recorded June 24 of that year at Anhembi Stadium in São Paulo. Its members were Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
, Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
, Maria Bethânia and Gal Costa, four of the biggest names in the history of the Music of Brazil
Music of Brazil
The music of Brazil encompasses various regional music styles influenced by African, European and Amerindian forms. After 500 years of history, Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba, zouk-lambada, lambada, choro, bossa nova, frevo, maracatu, MPB, sertanejo,...
. The band was the subject of a 1977 documentary directed by Jom Tob Azulay
Jom Tob Azulay
Jom Tob Azulay, is a Brazilian ex-diplomat, producer, director, writer, director of photography and soundman. In 1975, he established himself as producer with his company A&B Productions Ltd., in Rio de Janeiro. Produced and directs shorts, documentaries and videos...
. In 1994, they performed a tribute concert to Mangueira school of samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
.
French filmmaker Georges Gachot completed a documentary film "Musica é perfume" about her which was worldwide distributed. In 2008 she recorded an album with the Cuban singer Omara Portuondo which was followed by a Live DVD
Maria Bethania in 2011 received permission from the Ministry of Culture of Brazil to make a poetry blog budgeted for $ 1.3 million Reais. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/harriet/tag/maria-bethania/
Discography
- 2009: Encanteria
- 2009: Tua
- 2008: Omara Portuondo e Maria Bethânia [Biscoito Fino]
Dezembros
Dezembros is an album by Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia released in 1987.-Track listing:#Anos Dourados #Doce Espera #Errei sim #Tranchan #Quero ficar com você...
Talismã (album)
Talismã is an album by Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia released in 1980.-Tracklisting:#Vida real #Cansei de ilusões #Alguém me avisou feat...
Doces Bárbaros
Doces Bárbaros is the name of a 1976 album by the Música Popular Brasileira supergroup of the same name. It was recorded June 24 of that year at Anhembi Stadium in São Paulo. Its members were Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia and Gal Costa, four of the biggest names in the history of...
(live)
Filmography
- 2008: Doces barbaros Original 60 DVD
- 2008: Maria Bethania Omara Portuondo Live
- 2007: Maria Bethânia
- 2007: Pedrinha de Aruanda 2 DVD Set
- 2006: Outros Doces Barbaros feat. Gal Costa,Caetano Veloso (DVD)
- 2005: "Maria Bethânia: Música é Perfume" by Georges Gachot