Eubioticamente atraídos
caetano veloso is a victim of tropicalism
Historic Press
CAETANO VELOSO IS A VICTIM OF TROPICALISM
Jornal do Brasil, 17 September 1968
Booed and attacked at the Theatre of the Universidade Católica, singer Caetano Veloso refused to defend É Proibido Proibir, one of the six songs classified to represent São Paulo at the national phase of the Festival of Song, in Rio.
Instead of singing his song, the leader of tropicalism, made a speech to the audience of students, who threw tomatoes, eggs and crumpled paper at him. He said he couldn’t understand such a behavior in the young, “because you want to take power in Brazil, but deep down, you’re just like those guys at the Command Against Communists (CCC)”.
What kind of youth is this?
Caetano Veloso defended his song wearing the same clothes he wore at the first eliminating phase: plastic pants and shirt. Public reaction was even more violent than it had been previously: not only did they boo, but they also shouted four-letter words at him. Caetano Veloso was frightened as he got on stage to start singing, backed by the band Os Mutantes. When the public threw paper, eggs and tomatoes at him, he tried to dodge them, but it was still impossible to hear him.
That’s when he stopped singing:
-Can this possibly be the same youth who wants to take power? What kind of young people are these who have no idea what it’s all about?
Singer Gilberto Gil, who got onstage to receive the booing arm in arm with Caetano Veloso, laughed at the public’s reaction. Caetano Veloso tried to sing with his back to the audience as a sign of protest, but since even that was not possible, he withdrew from the stage.