On YouTube you can see and hear how Caetano Veloso (1942) covers Billie Jean: bossa nova, R&B and even a bit of The Beatles all come together in his version. Veloso is an important innovator of Brazilian music and also a gifted lyricist. In the 1960s, the singer-songwriter was responsible for the birth of tropicalismo, together with Gilberto Gil and others. The music of this artistic movement has left a special mark: it's a mix of Brazilian and African rhythms with elements from Western pop music, such as electric guitars. Because of the socially engaged lyrics, Veloso experienced trouble with the authorities after which he fled to London where he stayed from 1968 to 1972. Veloso has released dozens of albums and won several Grammy Awards and he is still on the look-out for new elements: fado, tango, hip-hop, reggae, samba or grunge; name any genre and he will use it in his music.
