Andre Matos

André Coelho Matos was a Brazilian singer, producer, pianist and composer. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia and sold million of copies worldwide. Since October 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 2012, he was ranked No. 77 at the list of 100 Greatest Voices of Brazilian Music by Rolling Stone Brasil. Matos was born in 1971 in São Paulo, where he began his musical education at the age of 10, when he received his first piano from his parents. As a teen, he would gather with his friends to listen to their favorite bands. Soon they began learning to play music too, and Matos joined his first band, Viper. The band first performed on 8 April 1985, when he was just 13 years old. That same year, they recorded their first demo tape, The Killera Sword. Matos continued on vocals, but he had no intention of remaining a vocalist, a role he assumed only because his singing was the "least poor vocals of all of them", and because he physically resembled Iron Maiden's vocalist, Bruce Dickinson. His instruments of choice were always the piano and keyboard. Matos left Viper when the band began to change its musical style. He had become interested in classical music, and felt that his musical vision had begun to diverge from that of the other band members, who wanted to focus on heavier, "crude" music. After leaving Viper, Matos went back to school and finished his education in music, specializing in orchestral conducting and music composition. In 1991, Angra was formed, and with the first album, Angels Cry, released in 1993, the band became famous in Japan and Europe. Later, Holy Land and Fireworks were released. Angra's style evolved from a Helloween-inspired melodic speed metal to a unique blend of heavy-metal, classical music and traditional Brazilian influences which brought them worldwide critical praise. In 2000, Matos left Angra alongside Luis Mariutti (bass) and Ricardo Confessori (drums) because of a disagreement with guitar players Rafael Bittencourt and Kiko Loureiro concerning the band's management. Matos stayed with Mariutti and Confessori and recruited Mariutti's brother Hugo on guitar; together they formed the band Shaman. The band was a sudden success due to the song "Fairy Tale" which was featured in the Brazilian soap opera Beijo do Vampiro (Vampire Kiss). Their first album, Ritual, sold over 200.000 copies worldwide in the first year of its release and resulted in a tour with 150 concerts around the world and a DVD called Ritualive. ² Matos started his solo career in 2006, after parting ways with Shaman due to creative differences. He released four albums under his own name: Time to Be Free (2007), Mentalize (2009), The Turn of the Lights (2012), and Moonlight - The Best of Andre Matos (2019). He also collaborated with other artists, such as Avantasia, Aina, After Forever, and Virgo. In 2010, he formed the supergroup Symfonia with Timo Tolkki, Jari Kainulainen, Mikko Härkin, and Uli Kusch. They released one album, In Paradisum, in 2011. In 2018, he reunited with the original members of Shaman to celebrate the band's 17th anniversary, a reunion that sparked a small tour. ² Matos was known for his vocal range and versatility, as well as for his ability to play various instruments. He was influenced by classical music, progressive rock, and heavy metal. He cited Freddie Mercury, Ian Gillan, Ronnie James Dio, and Bruce Dickinson as some of his vocal inspirations. He was also an advocate for animal rights and environmental causes. He died on 8 June 2019, at the age of 47, from a heart attack. He was buried in the Cemitério do Araçá, where many of his fans and friends paid tribute to him. His legacy lives on in his songs, which are still performed and recorded by many artists, and in his influence on the development of Brazilian metal and music. ²