Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Ney Matogrosso at Town Hall
Ney Matogrosso at Town Hall

Courtesy Sachyn Mital
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
vocals
Caetano Veloso
guitarb.1942
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
guitar1913 - 1980
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.
Tags
New York Beat
Ernest Barteldes
Ney Matogrosso
Leandro Braga
Paula Toller
Herbert Vianna
Mariza
Vinicius de Morais
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