The singer and songwriter Milton Nascimento opened his farewell show from the stages in Belo Horizonte this Sunday evening in honor of the singer Gal Costa who passed away on the 9th.
Hailed by Caetano Veloso for his “brilliant tones”, called “unique” by Cat Stevens and called “big brother” by Paul Simon, Milton did not end his A Última Sessão de Música tour, which was acclaimed by a crowd of fans, that way famous but no less enthusiastic.
“This show is dedicated to my dear Gal Costa,” Milton said at the end of the first song, “Ponta de Areia.” Before the performance began, a photo of Gal hugging Milton and a video of the two singing “Paula e Bebeto” could be seen on the stage’s big screens.
The show at Mineirão marks the end of the “A Última Sessão de Música” tour, which traveled through six other Brazilian capitals and countries such as the United States, Portugal and Italy.
Choosing Minas Gerais for the final performance is also Milton’s homage to the state that inspired him. There is no need to talk about Minas without Milton and vice versa. Born singer Carioca, he grew up in the state where he conquered eternity. The concert in the stadium had a maximum capacity with a total of 57,000 tickets sold.
After the announcement of surprises for the show, Wagner Tiso, Toninho Horta, Beto Guedes and Lô Borges appeared on stage and remembered Clube da Esquina, an anthological album they participated in, singing “Para Lennon e McCartney” and ” To Girassol da Cor de Your Hair”.
Samuel Rosa also appeared to sing “Trem Azul”. “What a privilege to be here. Your music changes people and the country,” said the Skank founder.
The evening’s repertoire represented mostly songs from the 1960s to 1980s. The opening was with “Ponta de Areia”, inspired by a report of the deactivation of a railway connecting Minas to the south coast of Minas Bahia. The audience sang loudly.
Posters reading “Thank you, Bituca” were distributed to spectators at the stadium entrance and displayed throughout the presentation. The audience was a balanced mix of younger and older fans who rocked out as Milton played “Amor de Índio” by Beto Guedes and then “Cais” and “Tudo que Você Podia Ser”.
“San Vicente” was sung by Zé Ibarra, a musician who was also responsible for opening the show. And the Mineirão Choir returned soon after, with Milton singing “Clube da Esquina 2” and “Nada Sera Como Antes.”
This was followed by the instrumental “A Última Sessão de Música”, which gave the show its name. A brief moment of calm that preceded another classic, “Fé Cega, Faca Amolada” spliced with “Paula e Bebeto”.
Milton and the band followed the show with “Calix Bento” and the popular song “Quem me Ensinou a Nadar”, then “Cio da Terra”, in collaboration with Chico Buarque.
“The next song I dedicate to you all,” Milton told the audience before beginning to sing “America’s Song,” with the line “Friend is something to keep on the left side of your chest.” The sequel followed with “Caçador de Mim” and “Nos Bailes da Vida”.
“Bola de Meia, Bola de Marble” came with almost two hours of show. Milton got emotional after announcing the band. The audience shouted “Bituca, Bituca” as the singer began “Maria, Maria”. A series of firecrackers colored the Mineirão as the music ended.
The curtains were closed but reopened for another participation from Wagner Tiso at the piano to play “Coração de Estudante”. “Long live democracy,” Milton said at the end of the song, to cheers from the audience.
And the show went on, now with Toninho Horta back on stage for “Travessia”. “Meetings and farewells” ended the evening.
Before leaving the stage, Milton was picked up by his son Augusto Nascimento and teammates to greet the audience. The singer was once again very emotional. Magical night in the Mineirão.