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