There's no denying that Titãs was one of the most significant names in Brazilian music. When they announced a commemorative tour with all the members, packed stadiums and nostalgic moments were to be expected – making them one of only five bands capable of filling stadiums in Brazil. Few bands have the power to draw crowds to stadiums throughout their career, and Titãs knows how to do it masterfully, as happened once again at the show held at Allianz Parque in São Paulo last Thursday, the 21st.
In over 40 years of career, the group released memorable hits spanning various musical styles, including pop rock, new wave, punk rock, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) and electronic music, demonstrating a diversity typical of Brazil and becoming the most successful pop rock band in the country.
Initially, there were to be ten shows in Brazil between April and June, where Arnaldo Antunes, Nando Reis, Paulo Miklos, and Charles Gavin would reunite with Branco Mello, Tony Bellotto , Sérgio Britto , and Liminha (replacing guitarist Marcelo Fromer , who died in an accident in 2001), to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary. This was the first time the seven original members had reunited since Fromer's death: Arnaldo left the band in 1992, Nando left ten years later, Gavin in 2010, and Miklos in 2016. The group currently refers to itself as Titãs Trio and only counts Branco, Britto, and Bellotto as original members.
With the expected success, the band decided to extend the tour with a few more dates in Brazil, returning to São Paulo for three more shows at the end of the year, again held at Allianz Parque. With tickets sold out on the first night, the São Paulo group took to the stage for another great show and to say goodbye to the mega tour that became a landmark in Brazilian music.
Titãs once again honored their title as the greatest Brazilian pop-rock band in a nearly three-hour show featuring a 36-song setlist that truly represents the magnitude of a band like them, with their timeless hits that continue to convey the necessary message and, incredibly, faithfully reproduced from the original album versions. Divided into four acts, the setlist covers almost all of the band's albums – in fact, to be precise, the tour, titled Titãs Encontro , spans seventeen years of Titãs' career, from 1984 to 2001.
One striking feature is the stage structure. With a giant, unconventional screen, side screens that provide an immersive experience for anyone in the stadium, and a spectacular light show, it's no surprise that anyone who saw the band in the 1980s will be amazed to see this magnitude today.
In a show filled only with hits, there isn't a single song the audience doesn't know. Including an acoustic set to celebrate the successes of the 1990s, Alice Fromer , daughter of the late guitarist Marcelo Fromer, took to the stage to honor her father and sing the tracks "Toda Cor" and "Não Vou Me Adaptar". A punk mosh pit started with the classic protest song "Polícia", Branco Mello thanked the audience and opened up about his battle against laryngeal cancer, and joked about changes in his voice during "Tô Cansado".
The third act of the show featured the most famous songs, and with the entire stadium jumping and singing along, there was no better way to end the 2023 concert season. The show ended where it all began, with "Sonífera Ilha," and featured the classic choreography that characterized the beginning of the group's career.
Each member commanded the audience in their own style – it seemed age never caught up with the seven members, it was as if they were still in the 1980s. Arnaldo Antunes with his irreverent dances, Paulo Miklos and Branco Mello with their theatrical performances, Charles Gavin and Tony Bellotto like teenagers commenting on their instruments, Nando Reis giving a show of his own on bass, and Sérgio Brito with his usual rock 'n' roll spirit. For the band Titãs, time hasn't passed.
And it's interesting to see the diversity and personality of these seven brilliant minds, who together leave a legacy that will be remembered for years. Proof of this is the audience, mostly in their fifties, but also young people, who somehow fell in love with the band. A reunion tour, which is super trendy, along with the need to transform shows into grand spectacles that go beyond a band reunion, can provide much more than a tribute or give chances to those who never got to see the band live. This show provides moments, emotions, memories. It's impossible not to be moved by the emotion in the eyes of everyone in the audience, impossible not to have a song on the setlist that brings back personal memories.
The Titãs Encontro takes a nostalgic and emotional journey, revisiting memories, and reminds us that despite events, distance, and years that have passed, a moment of reunion is always necessary – in music and in life.
Titãs will play two more shows in São Paulo this week, on the 22nd and 23rd, in addition to being scheduled for Lollapalooza 2024. In June, Wikimetal also covered a show from the band's reunion tour; read the review here .
Our contributor Leca Suzuki photographed the night; see the exclusive photos in our gallery (if you can't see them, click here ).
READ ALSO: The best of Brazilian rock in one playlist: Titãs, Rita Lee and much more
