Text written by Nina Shimazumi
On September 14, 2021, Andre Matos would have turned 50. One of his greatest goals was to perform at the Theatro Municipal in São Paulo. And that day has arrived! Andre Matos – Maestro do Rock, a documentary about the musician's life, premiered last Tuesday at the Theatro.
Arriving at the venue around 6 PM, you could already see the musician's fans lining up to see the first of a total of four parts of Maestro do Rock . Several guests who were part of Andre's life were present, such as Rafael Bittencourt from Angra, Felipe Machado, Yves Passarell and Leandro Caçoilo from Viper , Marcello Pompeu from Korzus, among others.
Entering the Municipal Theater is an indescribable experience: a place with incredible energy that brings peace. With a reduced capacity of about 300 people, far from the maximum capacity of a thousand guests, I sat on the fifth floor, where I met Nando Machado , co-founder of Wikimetal and childhood friend of Andre.
Then, the lights dimmed. Eco Moliterno , advertising executive and cousin of the artist, and Anderson Bellini , fan, creator, director, and editor of the film, took to the stage. Visibly emotional, Bellini spoke about the importance of this project and thanked Andre's family, his siblings Daniel and Helena Matos , and his mother Sonia , for contributing so much to making a documentary faithful to who Andre was and what he represented. Moliterno, in turn, spoke a little about how important the fans were in making the film, and both Eco and Anderson emphasized that this documentary was made for all of Andre's fans.
READ ALSO: Rafael Bittencourt recalls his last meeting with Andre Matos: "We didn't speak"
The lights finally went out and the first part of the documentary began. Bellini started filming this documentary while Andre was still alive, obtaining his last interview in February 2019, four months before he passed away. The first of the project's four parts tells a little about who Andre Coelho , the simple and humble man behind the Maestro of Rock, who liked to spend time at his family home in Piedade, in the interior of São Paulo, his refuge. As his cousin and brother, Eco and Daniel, say in the film: "Fame was a toll for the world to get to know Andre's art."
Andre Matos was an artist. Divided into 7 acts, this first part of the documentary shows the essence of Andre and his close relationship with his family, especially with his grandfather, Ary Coelho , with whom he lived and to whom Bellini also dedicated the film. Several family members gave testimonials, and various videos from his personal archive were shown, which made the film very interesting and moving because of its authenticity.
After showing a bit of his childhood and his family ties, we also learn about the beginning of his career and when he joined Viper, his first heavy metal band with his schoolmates and neighborhood friends. The story of Viper's beginnings is portrayed in detail through interviews with Andre himself, his family, his bandmates Pit Passarell , Yves Passarell, Felipe Machado, Cassio Audi , Val Santos , and everyone who was part of his life during that time.
The entire Viper era is told through these stories, from studio scenes during the recording of Soldiers of Sunrise (1987) and Theatre of Fate (1989), through their success in Japan and abroad, to his decision to leave the band to focus on his music college studies.
READ ALSO: Andre Matos' documentary premiere receives prominent coverage on Globo; see the report.
After the credits, Anderson and Eco returned to the stage to thank Andre's family and fans again, as well as everyone who participated in the film. Then, they answered some questions about the entire filming process.
After watching this first part and learning more about the artist and the incredible human being that Andre was, I'm certain he truly was a maestro in every aspect. I identified with several parts shown in the documentary, especially his relationship with his grandfather. I got goosebumps and felt emotional seeing the beginning of his story, and I'm eager to see the continuation.
The complete documentary, which has 4 parts, will be released in installments throughout the year of its fiftieth anniversary and will only conclude on September 14, 2022. The second part of the documentary is scheduled to premiere in December. There is still no information on when and where, but stay tuned to Wikimetal as we will report it as soon as it is available.
When you're ready, watch it because it's worth it! Thank you and congratulations to Anderson, Eco, and Thiago for making an incredible documentary full of details!
READ ALSO: PROMOTION: Win an Andre Matos kit with a solo CD and a Viper CD!
