Between the sunny end of the afternoon and the rain that threatened to fall at any moment, Ibirapuera Park was the scene, last Sunday 21, of a collective celebration of Brazilian music. Twenty-four years after the recording of Luau MTV: Cássia Eller, Corona, 30e and MTV promoted in São Paulo (SP) the last date of a special tour that brought together Nando Reis, Céu and Os Garotin to pay tribute to the singer of “Malandragem”, “All Star”, “O Segundo Sol” and many other hits.
Created in 1996, Luau MTV was born with the idea of having artists and groups play on the beach, with guitars and percussion, in a relaxed atmosphere. With the support of Corona, the program returned in 2024 – and this year it was on a mission to celebrate the centenary of Ambev’s premium beer brand with a special tour.
The first three shows took place between late November and mid-December, in Brasilia (DF), Garopaba (SC) and Rio de Janeiro (RJ), taking advantage of the arrival of summer. And since São Paulo doesn’t have a beach, the stage among the trees of Ibirapuera Park provided all the ambiance necessary for the light tone of the show, which began around 5:30 p.m.
The first person to take the stage was presenter Sarah Oliveira, who had also been responsible for directing the special Cássia recorded in 2001 for MTV. “Rain was predicted this afternoon, but on the first day of summer, Cássia brought the second sun,” Sarah joked. “Corona is telling us to live our lives outside – and for me there is nothing more sacred than a show.”
The presenter also recalled the musical and friendly partnership between the winner and the main artist of the afternoon, Nando Reis. “Nando Reis changed the life of Cássia Eller. Cássia Eller changed the life of Nando Reis. And they both changed our lives,” he summed up, before calling on stage the artist and percussionist from São Paulo Lan Lanh, who has also accompanied the singer on numerous tours.
Restlessness from the start
Partner of Cássia’s major musical projects and composer of several of her hits, Nando Reis opened the show with “O Segundo Sol”, leading his own creation with a long and delicate voice. Then came two more from the titan: “Infernal” and “Luz dos Olhos”, sung at the top of their lungs by the audience.
The feeling of communion is found in “Palavras ao Vento”, a partnership between Marisa Monte and Moraes Moreira recorded by Cássia Eller on the album Com Você… Meu Mundo Ficaria Completo: it was enough for Nando to sing the first verse – “I walk around” – for the audience to embrace the whole song, from start to finish.
Before playing another of his compositions, “As Ciências Tão Mais Lindas”, Nando greeted the singer. “We must be grateful for Cássia’s existence in our lives,” he said with emotion. The tone is maintained with “All Star”, which he made for his friend as soon as they met, and the ballad “No Recreio”.
Then, with the rain, it was singer Céu’s turn to take the stage to perform “Por While”, a song by Legião Urbana which became Cássia’s first hit in the early 90s.
Despite the water, the audience never left the stage, listening to Céu’s reinterpretations of two other notable pieces from Cássia’s repertoire: “Todo Amor Que Hár Nessa Vida,” with an elegant solo by guitarist Walter Villaça, and “Socorro,” by Arnaldo Antunes.
Swing, swing and a lot of emotion
Those who also participated in the party were Os Garotin, one of the main revelations of Brazilian music today. With a Latin Grammy under their belt, the trio of Léo, Anchietx and Cupertino took the stage to show how Cássia’s legacy influences new generations.
Without a drop falling from the sky, they made the audience dance and jump to the sound of “Partido Alto”, “Gatas Extraordinárias” and “Meu Mundo Ficaria Completo”, receiving a hug from Nando Reis. “From São Gonçalo to São Paulo,” the composer joked, highlighting the meeting between different generations and trajectories of Brazilian music.
In the final stretch, Nando moved the audience with three other compositions recorded by Cássia: “Um Branco, Um Xis, Um Zero”, the rock “ECT” and the emotional “Relicário” in a version lasting almost ten minutes, setting the stage for the encore.
To much applause, Nando returned to the stage to sing “Por Onde Andei”, with the audience practically drowning his voice. “It’s the best choir I’ve ever seen,” praised the singer, who then welcomed Céu and Os Garotin on stage to perform the composition by Cazuza and Frejat which became Cássia’s signature song: “Malandragem”.
When everything seemed to be over, the final surprise: off-script, the hit “Do Seu Lado” closed the show with smiles, screams and a lot of excitement.
If, as the song says, “love is the warmth that warms the soul,” the Corona luau in honor of Cássia Eller reinforced the power of outdoor encounters – especially when the music, the audience and the landscape come together in one vibration.
The show is also available online
In addition to presentations in all four cities, Corona Luau MTV also offers a digital version for those who were unable to attend any of the shows.
Recorded in October, in Maresias, on the north coast of São Paulo, a special episode of Nando Reis’ show, Céu e Os Garotin was broadcast on the official YouTube channels of MTV Brasil and Corona, and on Pluto TV, via the MTV Pluto TV channel.
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