HOMEM COM H / LATIN BLOOD — THE BALLAD OF NEY MATOGROSSO (2025) – dir. Esmir Filho
The relationship between artist Ney Matogrosso and Brazilian poet and singer Cazuza transcends the fleeting nature of romantic love; it is remembered by Ney as a profound and enduring connection, marked by passion, rebellion, and tenderness. They met when Cazuza was still young: a fiery spirit, impulsive, fearless, and unapologetically alive. Though their romantic relationship eventually dissolved, what remained was something far more lasting: an unbreakable bond of affection, friendship, and mutual admiration that persisted until Cazuza’s premature death from AIDS at the height of the global epidemic. In the final chapter of Cazuza’s life, he embarked on a farewell tour. Every show was masterfully directed by Ney — an act of love, care, and artistic kinship. It was during this period that “O Tempo Não Para”, now a timeless anthem in Brazilian music, was born. Ney, upon hearing the song only once, immediately recognized its brilliance and insisted that Cazuza include it in the setlist. That single decision transformed the song into one of Cazuza’s most powerful and lasting legacies.
Decades later, Ney still speaks of Cazuza with a mixture of reverence and tenderness, often confessing without hesitation that he never stopped loving him. Their story lingers not only in memories but also in the poetry Cazuza left behind. One, written for his paternal grandmother, Maria José, was found by his mother after Maria José passed away. Upon reading it, she entrusted it to one of Cazuza’s former bandmates, who instinctively reached out to Ney. It was Ney who breathed life into the poem, transforming it into the hauntingly beautiful song “Poema”, which became one of his most celebrated hits. Far beyond the confines of romance, their bond became a testament to chosen love, enduring friendship, and the sacred intersection between art, memory, and resistance. Ney and Cazuza continue to echo through Brazilian cultural history as symbols of artistic freedom, vulnerability, and the refusal to be silenced.
