Caetano Veloso grandchild: Meet Rosa Veloso

Caetano Veloso was born in Santo Amaro da Purificação, Bahia, Brazil, the fifth of seven children of José Teles Veloso and Claudionor Viana Teles Veloso. His childhood was influenced greatly by artistic endeavors. He was interested in both literature and filmmaking as a child but focused mainly on music. The musical style of bossa nova and João Gilberto, one of its most prominent exponents, were major influences on Veloso’s music as he grew up.

Veloso was 17 years old when he first heard Gilberto, whom he describes as his “supreme master”. He recognizes Gilberto’s contribution to Brazilian music as new—”illuminating” the tradition of Brazilian music and paving the way for future innovation. Veloso moved to the Bahian port city of Salvador as a teenager, the city in which Gilberto lived, and a center of Afro-Brazilian culture and music.