Everyone has heard of Andre Matos , or at least music fans have, especially rock and heavy metal fans. But few can claim to have known the musician's true self. Reserved, quiet, and observant, Andre was a lover of music and nature, content to sit on a rock at his family's property in Piedade, in the interior of São Paulo, with a keyboard in his lap, contemplating the immensity of Brazilian nature.
This is the scene that marks the viewer who watches the first few minutes of the documentary Andre Matos: Maestro do Rock . The film was directed by Anderson Bellini and produced by journalist Thiago Mauro with support from Eco Moliterno , Andre Matos' cousin, who was also responsible for the project's publicity and marketing.
In a press conference, the trio presented a clip from the film and talked a bit about the production. It all started with Anderson, an avid fan who decided to make a documentary about Angra and managed to get an interview with Andre. The material was so rich – the conversation yielded five hours of video – that Anderson changed his mind and decided to make Andre Matos the focus of the documentary.
In the excerpt presented at the event, Andre is portrayed as an extraordinary boy who learned to read at the age of four and soon created a complete newspaper of news and editorials for his family. His grandfather, with whom he had a very strong relationship, nurtured this thirst for knowledge that Andre always had, which ultimately resulted in studies in a wide variety of fields. Andre held a bachelor's degree in Orchestral Conducting and Musical Composition, studied opera singing for seven years, and spoke seven languages.
Andre Matos earned the title of Maestro of Rock for his vocal control, diverse compositions, and fascinating creativity that blended rock, heavy metal, and classical music. The bands he's been a part of (including VIPER , Angra, Shaman , and Andre Matos Solo ) are undeniably important to Brazilian – and world – musical history, but Andre transcended his own creations and became a symbol for many rock and metal fans. Now, these fans have the opportunity to meet the man behind the mastery.
Andre Matos: Maestro do Rock premieres on September 14th, the day the musician would have turned 50, at the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo , a venue built for maestros like Andre. Tickets are unfortunately already sold out, however, according to the producer, the documentary should soon be released in cinemas throughout Brazil.
The desire to discover and study the true face of Andre Matos led Anderson, Thiago, and Eco on an unprecedented journey into the singer's life and history, a journey that yielded four documentaries to be released throughout the year celebrating Andre Matos's fiftieth birthday.
There is still no information about upcoming releases, but new features and previously unreleased footage, such as rare recordings of Andre and more, are being made available on the project's social media channels.
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