Ney Matogrosso at Town Hall

Ney Matogrosso
Town Hall
New York, NY
April 22, 2023

On a rare Stateside appearance, Brazilian singer Ney Matogrosso took to the stage of New York's Town Hall for only the second time in his 50-year career for a stripped-down set of what he described in Portuguese as "an evening of Brazilian classics."

Backed solely by pianist Leandro Braga, Matogrosso started out with a spirited rendition of "Nada Por Mim," a '80s hit for pop band Kid Abelha penned by Paula Toller and Herbert Vianna, adding meaning to a song whose lyrics talk about an abusive relationship with a dramatic rendition. He followed that with "Ultimo Desejo," a tune penned in the 1930s by Rio de Janeiro-born Noel Rosa (1910-1937). He srtayed into early 20th Century material for most of the set with songs by songwriters such as Cartola and Bororo.

Halfway through the set, he was joined by Portuguese fado singer Mariza, who had curated a weekend of Lusophone music (she performed her own set the following evening). Together, they shared two close duets, Caetano Veloso's "Ela e Eu" and "Fala," a major hit from his brief time as lead singer for Secos & Molhados, whose debut self-titled album celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023. Braga played close to the piano arrangement by the late Ze Rodrix, who performed on the original 1973 recording, while Mariza lent her poignant fado chops to the the tune, which was fitting since the tune's co-writer Joao Ricardo (alongside Luli) is an expatriate from Portugal himself.

Highlights from the set included "Poema," a major hit for Matogrosso in the 1990s. While the original track penned by the singer's close friend Cazuza and guitarist Roberto Frejat is marked by its signature electric guitar intro, Leandro Braga gave it his own interpretation by playing the chords with a jazz-inspired feel and "Rosa de Hiroshima," another tune from the Secos & Molhados era critical of the atomic bomb ("the cirrhotic rose, the atomic anti-rose."). The tune, set to music from a poem by Vinicius De Moraes by Gerson Conrad—himself a former member of Matogrosso's former band—has become a fixture of Matogrosso's concerts since the beginning of his career.

At 81 at the time of this writing, Matogrosso's unique countertenor voice in great shape, as is his stage presence. He sings and moves like someone at least half his age, and his dramatic musical theater-inspired delivery is incredibly captivating. Leandro Braga's piano work was just as impressive: a successful jazz artist in his own right, he gave new feeling to Matogrosso's hits and to the lesser-known songs selected for the set.

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