Rafael Bittencourt , guitarist and founder of Angra , published a tribute to Andre Matos this Tuesday, the 14th, the date on which the Maestro of Rock would have turned 50 years old and the documentary about his career was released.
In a lengthy post on social media, Bittencourt paid tribute to his former bandmate with an acoustic version of "Lasting Child," from the debut album Angels Cry (1993). The song was composed by Andre Matos when he was 20 years old, one of the many proofs of the artist's very precocious talent.
“Ever since he first played it for me, I really liked that song, I even gave him a guitar part at the end to use without credit. I greatly admired his ability as a composer, how he fused all the emotional intensity and energy of rock with elements of classical music,” wrote the guitarist. “Today Andre would have turned 50 and (…) all that remains is for us to revisit his work and honor him so that the world and Brazilians know how to value their cultural icons, who are often only appreciated after death.”
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Bittencourt was also interviewed by Bom Dia São Paulo , on the Globo network , about the documentary Andre Matos – Maestro do Rock , the first part of which was shown at the Theatro Municipal do Estado on Tuesday night.
In the report, the musician recounted his last encounter with Matos. “Weeks before he passed away, I ran into him at the airport after 20 years, having never seen him again. I was checking my luggage, waiting for documents, under a lot of stress, and he also arrived late for his flight, rushing,” the guitarist narrated.
The quick and unexpected encounter did not result in a reconnection between them. "Our eyes met, there was a thrill, I realized," she continued. "We didn't speak, it was very quick, we were both in a hurry."
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