An uncommon artist with an uncommon sopranino voice, Ney Matogrosso fell in the Brazilian popular music scene like a bomb in the '70s aboard the Secos & Molhados. The end of the group marked the beginning of a fertile and successful solo career in which he began exploring his sensuous and charismatic persona through satiric and ironic repertories. As time passed, he substituted self-contained and deeply sensitive interpretations of classics for the popular and classical Brazilian music. Along with his representative and prolific solo discography, for which he received three platinum and three gold records, Matogrosso recorded in Itália with Astor Piazzola, performed in Argentina, Uruguay, participated in two Montreux Jazz Festivals (Switzerland), and toured Portugal several times. He also performed in Israel and the U.S., but always refused invitations to develop an international career. Matogrosso also worked as an actor in Sonho de Valsa (by Ana Carolina, the director, not the singer/composer) and Caramujo Flor (short subject by Joel Pizzini), and directed shows by RPM, Cazuza, and Simone.
Arriving in Rio de Janeiro in 1966, Matogrosso became a hippie leather artisan and divided his time between Rio, São Paulo, and Brasília, where he was a close friend of singer/composer Luli. Through her he met João Ricardo, who had a vision for a groundbreaking group and was searching for a high-pitched male voice. Invited by Ricardo, Matogrosso moved to São Paulo where he spent one year dedicating himself to exhaustive rehearsals, artisanship, and theater plays. With the explosive success of Secos e Molhados and the group's final dissolution, Matogrosso started his solo career exploring his unusual voice timbre, his mesmerizing scenic persona, and his androgynous visuals, enhanced by innovative and exotic costumes. A second solo album, Água do Céu - Pássaro, was supported by the show Homem de Neanderthal, in 1975, with which Matogrosso opened in Rio de Janeiro, drawing both raves and packed houses. "Barco Negro" and "Homem com H" appeared amongst considerable polemics aroused by the usual conservatives on duty. In that period, he worked with Astor Piazzola in Milan, Italy, where he recorded a double single with the Argentinean composer. A cleaner Matogrosso recorded Bandido in 1976, having his first national hit as a solo artist with "Bandido Corazón," written especially for him by Rita Lee.
Bandolero
Ney Matogrosso Lyrics
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A misturar nas patas
Terras de outras terras, ares de outras matas
Eu, bandoleiro, no meu cavalo alado
Na mão direita o fado
Jogando sementes nos campos da mente
E se falasses magia, sonho e fantasia
E se falasses encanto, quebranto e condão
Não te enganarias, não!
Fossem ciganos a levantar poeira
A misturar nas patas
Terras de outras terras, ares de outras matas
Eu, bandoleiro, no meu cavalo alado
Na mão direita o fado
Jogando sementes nos campos da mente
E se falasses magia, sonho e fantasia
E se falasses encanto, quebranto e condão
Feitiço, transe-viagem, alucinação
The lyrics of Ney Matogrosso's "Bandolero" are rich in imagery and metaphor, weaving together the themes of travel, adventure, and the power of the imagination. The song begins with the line "Fossem ciganos a levantar poeira," which can be translated as "If gypsies were to raise dust." This line sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is about the wanderlust and restlessness that come with a nomadic lifestyle. The next few lines describe how the gypsies mix the soil of other lands with their own, creating a tapestry of cultures and environments.
The singer then identifies himself as a "bandoleiro," or a bandit, riding through the air on his winged horse. It's unclear whether he's an actual outlaw, or whether the term is used more metaphorically to represent someone who is unbounded by conventional societal norms. The "fado" he holds in his right hand is an emblem of Portuguese music, known for its mournful tones and lyrics. The bandit is described as throwing seeds into the fields of the mind, planting the magic of imagination and fantasy.
The final lines of the song are a repetition of the chorus, describing the power of magic and enchantment as "feitiço, transe-viagem, alucinação." These words refer to spells, trance-induced journeys, and hallucinations, suggesting that the mind is capable of creating its own otherworldly experiences. The song as a whole speaks to the universal human desire to explore, to be free, and to transcend the boundaries of the mundane world.
Line by Line Meaning
Fossem ciganos a levantar poeira
If gypsies were to stir up dust
A misturar nas patas
Mixing with their hooves
Terras de outras terras, ares de outras matas
Soil from other soils, air from other forests
Eu, bandoleiro, no meu cavalo alado
Me, a bandit, on my winged horse
Na mão direita o fado
In my right hand, fate
Jogando sementes nos campos da mente
Sowing seeds in the fields of the mind
E se falasses magia, sonho e fantasia
And if you spoke of magic, dreams, and fantasy
E se falasses encanto, quebranto e condão
And if you spoke of charm, breaking, and spell
Não te enganarias, não te enganarias
You wouldn't be deceived, you wouldn't be deceived
Não te enganarias, não!
You wouldn't be deceived, no!
Feitiço, transe-viagem, alucinação
Spell, trance-journey, hallucination
Contributed by Austin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.