Andre Matos
A crystalline voice that carried Brazilian heavy metal onto the world stage, blending operatic power with the rhythms of his homeland.
1971–2019 (age 48)·Brazilian singer and musician·Birthday: September 14·Generation X
Biography
Andre Matos was a child prodigy from São Paulo who, by his teens, was already shaping the sound of Brazilian metal. His journey began with the pioneering band Viper, but it was with Angra that he found international fame, fronting the group with a voice that was both classically trained and electrically charged. Matos helped forge a new genre, fusing European power metal with symphonic and traditional Brazilian music, creating albums that were both technically dazzling and emotionally rich. After a controversial split from Angra, he formed Shaman and later pursued a solo career, constantly evolving his artistic vision. His untimely death in 2019 left a void in the global metal community, but his legacy endures as a benchmark for vocal artistry and cross-cultural musical ambition.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andre was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andre Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Andre's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2019Died at 48
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Fronted the band Angra, whose 1993 debut 'Angels Cry' became a landmark album in symphonic and power metal.
- His work with Angra and later Shaman pioneered a distinct Latin American flavor within the international heavy metal scene.
- Ranked No. 77 on Rolling Stone Brasil's 2012 list of the 100 Greatest Voices in Brazilian music.
- Released multiple solo albums, including 'Time to Be Free' (2007), showcasing his compositional range beyond band contexts.
Did You Know?
He was a trained classical pianist and studied conducting at the University of São Paulo.
Matos provided the Portuguese singing voice for the character Simba in the Brazilian dub of Disney's 'The Lion King'.
He was fluent in English, Portuguese, Italian, and German.
“I never wanted to be just a metal singer. I wanted to be a musician who uses his voice as an instrument.”
