album rating: ★★★★☆
a) Genre
MPB / Samba-canção / Bolero / Brazilian romantic song. Estava Escrito (It Was Written) is Ney Matogrosso's fourteenth solo studio album and the first in his celebrated series of thematic tribute albums dedicated to the great names of Brazilian popular music. The album presents a selection of songs drawn from the repertoire of Angela Maria — the Rio de Janeiro singer known as 'A Rainha do Rádio' (The Radio Queen) — interpreted through Matogrosso's extraordinary countertenor voice. The repertoire spans samba-canção, bolero, mambo, and melancholy romantic ballad, drawing on composers including Lourival Faissal, Paulo Marques, Othon Russo, Esdras P. da Silva, Dalton Vogeler, Henrique Beltrão, Herivelto Martins, Waldir Rocha, and others. The album features a jazz-inflected small ensemble arrangement that modernises the original material without distorting it.
b) Release
Original Brazilian release: Mercury/Polygram (Brazil, 1994; CD), phonographic copyright Mercury/Polygram Brasil. This was, notably, the last album in Ney Matogrosso's discography to be issued on vinyl, marking a symbolic farewell to the LP format that had defined the era of the music being celebrated. The album is currently available on digital streaming platforms as part of the Universal Music catalogue (successor to Polygram/Mercury Brazil).
c) Production
Produced by Marco Mazzola. Mazzola had been a long-standing collaborator of Matogrosso since the late 1970s, accumulating experience across many phases of the singer's career. His production for Estava Escrito was characterised by simplicity and intimacy: rather than the elaborate theatrical productions of Matogrosso's 1970s and early 1980s work, the album prioritises direct emotional communication between voice and listener, with spare, transparent instrumental arrangements. Musical direction and piano were by Leandro Braga, who created jazz-influenced arrangements described by one Brazilian review as 'enxutos' (lean, precise) and perfectly suited to the repertoire. The ensemble brought to the sessions was notably compact: Leandro Braga (piano), Ricardo Silveira and Fábio Nin (guitars), Márcio Montarroyos (trumpet), Bruce Henry (bass), and Zero (percussion). The album includes a guest appearance by Angela Maria herself, singing alongside Matogrosso on the track 'Só Vives pra Lua', creating a celebrated intergenerational encounter. The genesis of the album is documented in the Plano Crítico review: after directing the Prêmio Sharp of 1993 — which paid tribute to Angela Maria and Cauby Peixoto — Matogrosso became so enchanted with Angela Maria's repertoire that he decided to record a full album in her honour, discovering in the process what the review describes as 'a completely new side of himself as an interpreter.'
d) Recording
Recording took place in Brazil in 1993–94. The album is an original studio recording of new interpretations of pre-existing Angela Maria repertoire, and is therefore a covers album rather than a compilation of previously released material.
e) Reception
Estava Escrito received critical acclaim and was an important milestone in Matogrosso's career, inaugurating a new phase of thematic tribute albums that would continue with Um Brasileiro (a tribute to Chico Buarque, 1996), Ney Matogrosso Interpreta Cartola (2002), and Batuque (2001), among others. Album of the Year records a user score of 85. Plano Crítico's retrospective review describes the album as revealing 'a completely new side of himself as an interpreter', with individual tracks praised: 'Estava Escrito' is called 'contemplative, turning each word into small dramatic moments'; 'Desejo' reveals 'completely unprecedented facets with a contained sensuality'; 'Escuta' is described as 'a true class in interpretation' in which Matogrosso 'glides across the piano and guitar base'. The guest appearance by Angela Maria on 'Só Vives pra Lua' is noted as 'a generational dialogue in which two distinct ways of approaching the romantic song meet and complement each other.' Rolling Stone Brasil ranked Matogrosso third among the greatest Latin American singers of all time.
Ney Matogrosso
Ney de Souza Pereira (born 1 August 1941, Bela Vista, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil), known professionally as Ney Matogrosso, is a Brazilian singer, choreographer, and performer, distinguished internationally for his extraordinary three-octave countertenor voice, androgynous stage persona, and decades of artistic risk-taking. His father was a military officer; the family's nomadic lifestyle took Ney through several Brazilian cities in childhood. He enlisted in the Brazilian Air Force at 17 before eventually moving to Rio de Janeiro, where he lived a bohemian lifestyle selling arts and crafts. In 1971 he moved to São Paulo and joined the glam-psychedelic rock group Secos & Molhados, which in less than 18 months sold one million records and became a cultural phenomenon. He left the group in 1974 and embarked on an extraordinarily long and varied solo career, initially as a flamboyant glam and pop rock artist, progressively moving toward a deeper engagement with the MPB canon from the mid-1980s onwards. He is openly gay and was among the first major Brazilian entertainers to acknowledge his sexuality during the military dictatorship. In 1986 he shed his theatrical costumes and elaborate stage production, refocusing exclusively on his voice and interpretive craft. He was invited to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1983 and 1994. He collaborated with guitarist Raphael Rabello on the acclaimed album À Flor da Pele (1990). Rolling Stone Brasil ranked him the third greatest Latin American singer of all time. He continues to record and perform as of 2025.
This text was generated by Claude (Anthropic). It may contain errors or inaccuracies.