Ney Matogrosso: ‘Brazil, U.S. live in an era of setbacks’

Jul 15, 2022, 9:17 AM | Updated: Jul 16, 2022, 3:00 pm

FILE - Brazilian singer Ney Matogrosso performs at the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro...

FILE - Brazilian singer Ney Matogrosso performs at the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sept. 18, 2015. Ney Matogrosso will perform at SummerStage in Central Park on July 17. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

(AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

SAO PAULO (AP) — Ney Matogrosso’s calm and paced voice when offstage makes it hard for anyone who doesn’t know his art to know he has been one of Brazil’s most rebellious and innovative artists for about 50 years.

Inspired by Japanese kabuki theater, Matogrosso painted his face in the early ’70s and performed flamboyant acts as the lead of the Secos e Molhados band — which was a mix of pop and rock ‘n’ roll, far from popular bossa nova and samba artists. Later as a prestigious solo singer, he did not hide his homosexuality on stage and became a beacon for many others who struggled.

Throughout his career, Matogrosso has stressed that Brazil’s creative spirit and ingenuity was key material for his music. But for some years now he has felt that his country is moving backward. And, he says, so is the United States, where the 80-year-old will perform in several cities this month.

On Sunday he will be one of the attractions of the Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage in New York.

“The gates of hell seem to be open for both nations,” Matogrosso told The Associated Press in a phone interview. He was referring to to the right-wing administration of Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, who has mocked minorities and will be up for reelection in October, and to former U.S. President Donald Trump, whose divisive influence still endures in American society, according to the singer.

“We see that radical trend in both countries at this moment. And it is still spreading all over the world. But I am sure that trend will one day wash away. Evolution is not a continuous, straight line. It is more like a spiral,” Matogrosso said. “I don’t feel I or my music have a duty to be optimistic, but I need to have that view, think something better will come about.”

Matogrosso’s latest record, “Nu Com Minha Música” (Naked With My Music), is titled after a song by Grammy Award winner Caetano Veloso. It is pervaded with optimism about the future of the singer’s country — something that doesn’t rhyme with a nation that has now been in a deep economic crisis for almost eight years, has the world’s second highest death count from COVID-19 and where more than 33 million people live in hunger.

“I see a clear path for my Brazil, despite the pain. A visionary vertigo that doesn’t need a follower. Naked with my music, other than that it is only love. I can see certain things from where I am,” the lyrics say, in a translation from Portuguese.

Matogrosso said he planned “Nu Com Minha Música” before Bolsonaro shot to power in 2019.

“One of the songs talks about so many people with hunger. I wonder whether that was a premonition; we didn’t have that scenario back then,” the singer said. “People starving in Brazil is really unforgivable. We can grow anything here.”

Matogrosso believes that despite the current tough days, the younger generations will see greater freedom.

“I was recently on a plane coming to Rio and two boys sat next to me. They were hand in hand, no doubt on their minds. I tried not to stare so I wouldn’t get in the middle of it. No one will tame kids like that,” Matogrosso said. “Shortly later I took a cab and saw another two touching their noses near the beach. These kids don’t have to be too concerned about saying they are gay. It is natural now.”

Asked whether he felt a little less rebellious than young fans, Matogrosso replied: “I was never keen on public demonstrations of affection. They have that need. I don’t. But I respect it.”

Matogrosso said he remains curious about sexuality, even more so after reading three books by Spanish transgender writer Paul B. Preciado.

“He is such a clear thinker, he expresses so well that it really got me into understanding more about transgender” people, the Brazilian said. “My interest comes from long ago. I remember decades ago I read a book that said transgender people would be born and these people should be embraced as a sign that humanity was evolving. I kept that on my mind since. We need to find ourselves and understand those next to us.”

Matogrosso said his schedule is busy until the end of the year in Brazil. That is not only because of old-time fans, but also because of youngsters who are keen on his work with the Secos e Molhados.

“I always knew what I wanted to be. But I didn’t know I was going to live until age 80, sing, dance the way I like,” Matogrosso said. “I feel blessed and happy to keep going and continue generating interest in people as I keep the same ideals; liberty for people as long as we respect one another.”

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              FILE - Brazilian singer Ney Matogrosso performs at the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sept. 18, 2015.  Ney Matogrosso will perform at SummerStage in Central Park on July 17. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
            
              FILE - Brazilian singer Ney Matogrosso performs at the Rock in Rio music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sept. 18, 2015.  Ney Matogrosso will perform at SummerStage in Central Park on July 17. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

AP

FILE - Gabby Petito's mother Nichole Schmidt, wipes a tear from her face during a news conference o...

Associated Press

Mother of man who killed Gabby Petito said in letter she would help son ‘dispose of a body’

The mother of the man who killed Gabby Petito told her son in an undated letter that she would “dispose of a body” if needed because she loved him so much, according to copies of the note shared publicly for the first time this week by attorneys for Petito's parents.

2 days ago

A member of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, places flags in front of e...

Associated Press

5 things to know about Memorial Day including its controversies

Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

2 days ago

FILE - This artist sketch depicts the trial of Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, left, as he test...

Associated Press

Officers describe chaos, fear on Jan. 6 as judge weighs prison time for Oath Keepers’ Rhodes

Police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and public servants who fled the mob's attack told a judge on Wednesday that they are still haunted by what they endured, as the judge prepares to hand down sentences in a landmark Capitol riot case.

3 days ago

Pride month merchandise is displayed at the front of a Target store in Hackensack, N.J., Wednesday,...

Associated Press

Target on the defensive after removing LGBTQ+-themed products

Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community.

4 days ago

(Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Former Arizona television journalist announces bid for Schweikert’s US House seat

A former Phoenix television journalist announced her candidacy Wednesday for the congressional seat currently held by seven-term Republican Rep. David Schweikert.

4 days ago

Tortoise by Henry Davis earned an honorable mention in the "Adventures in Nature” student photo c...

Associated Press

When you adopt a desert tortoise, prepare for a surprisingly social and zippy pet

They’re not fluffy, they don’t play fetch and they certainly don’t roll over. But there is such a thing as a lap tortoise.

5 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

5 mental health myths you didn’t know were made up

Helping individuals understand mental health diagnoses like obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder or generalized anxiety disorder isn’t always an easy undertaking. After all, our society tends to spread misconceptions about mental health like wildfire. This is why being mindful about how we talk about mental health is so important. We can either perpetuate misinformation about already […]

(Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona Photo)...

Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona

5 common causes for chronic neck pain

Neck pain can debilitate one’s daily routine, yet 80% of people experience it in their lives and 20%-50% deal with it annually.

Ney Matogrosso: ‘Brazil, U.S. live in an era of setbacks’