The Night Beat — Caetano Veloso Birthday Tribute

Join Doug Crane on The Night Beat on Wednesday, August 7 at 8 p.m. for a special 82nd birthday tribute to the legendary Brazilian songwriter and musician Caetano Veloso.

In the early 1960s, he fell under the spell of Bossa Nova music, especially that of Joao Gilberto, and soon after took up playing the guitar as well as performing with his sister Maria Bethania, who today is an internationally-known and beloved Brazilian singer in her own right.

While in college studying philosophy, he met many young musicians including Gilberto Gil and Gal Costa.  After leaving the university he began recording his songs, appeared at music festivals that would air on television, and composed motion picture soundtracks.

By the late 1960s, Veloso and Gilberto Gil found themselves running afoul of the military dictatorship in Brazil, self-exiling themselves to Great Britain in July 1969 and remaining there until 1972.

In listening to the music of David Byrne and the Talking Heads, it seems clear (or at least to me) that some of Veloso’s recordings had a profound impact on both David and the band.  By 1988, Byrne created his record label (Luaka Bop) which over the next 20 years released numerous collections of Brazilian music including that of Caetano Veloso.  In 2004, Caetano Veloso and David Byrne performed together at a concert held at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

In 2011 Caetano was chosen to be the Telluride Film Festival’s Guest Director, allowing him the opportunity to select a number of films to present during its run.  My stepdaughter attended the festival, hoping to have an occasion to meet and speak with him.  She said there was always a crowd surrounding him wherever he was.  (His appearance at the film festival may have been the only occasion he visited Colorado)

Caetano announced shortly before commencing his brief concert tour of parts of the US during spring 2024 (not including Denver of course) that it would be his final tour abroad.

For more about Caetano Veloso:
A blog written by Frank Fitzpatrick about Veloso’s Telluride Film Festival visit: Frank Fitzpatrick—Meeting Caetano Veloso: A Legend on the Mountain
A 2016 episode of Alt. Latino featuring interviews with Veloso and Gilberto Gil. NPR Alt. Latino: Caetano Veloso & Gilberto Gil Living History
The New Yorker (subscription required): The New Yorker—How Caetano Veloso Revolutionized Brazil’s Sound & Spirit

Stay connected to KUVO’s programs and our community! Sign up for the Oasis E-News today!