Legendary Brazilian artist Ney Matogrosso makes a rare U.S. visit when he performs in the Au-Rene Theater on Friday, July 15 at 8 p.m.
A creative powerhouse from his time with the glam rock group Secos e Molhados in the 1970s through today, he is renowed for his flamboyance, stage theatrics, loud costumes and his uncommon countertenor voice.
Matogrosso was a pivotal presence in Brazil as gender roles were changing. According to Beyond Carnival: Male Homosexuality in Twentieth Century Brazil by the Brown University Center for Digital Scholarship, “Ney Matogrosso…was far less subtle in his subversion of traditional notions of gender and sexuality. Ney often sang entire songs in falsetto, used dramatic makeup and exotic costumes, and danced in a style that was as traditionally feminine as it was traditionally masculine. In 1978, Ney clarified his homosexuality in a magazine interview, and, in the face of widespread homophobia, he remained one of Brazil’s most famous celebrities.”
One of the most unique and dazzling performers to have ever come out of Latin America, Matogrosso was ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top three greatest Brazilian artists of all time and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin GRAMMY Awards in 2014.
When interviewed for Sounds and Colors Magazine in 2014 Matogrosso said, “I think deep down people admire the ones that have the courage to speak the truth. I never hid, what you see is what you get. On the other hand: in the first interviews I gave, they used to ask me about sex and I used to talk clearly about sex. Then I would read the article and it was written: ‘About love…’ I used to think: ‘But I didn’t speak about love, I spoke about sex!’ They didn’t have the courage because of the censorship back then.”
Over a nearly five decade career, Matogrosso has challenged preconceptions and prejudices through his satiric and ironic performances while also evolving into a very serious and well-respected artist through his interpretations of classic standards. He continues to tour and perform throughout Brazil and Europe.” His memoir, Vira-Lata de Raca, was published in 2018.
Tickets are $48-$85. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Broward Center and Parker Playhouse. Buy tickets online at BrowardCenter.org, or Ticketmaster.com; by phone at 954.462.0222 or in person at the Broward Center’s AutoNation Box Office. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale.
