The Melody That Lingers
MARO. Photo: Jade Cercal / TMN
Portuguese singer-songwriter MARO performed at Casa Natura Musical in São Paulo on November 7, closing the Brazilian leg of her So Much Has Changed tour. With her touring band and a crowd that sang along throughout the night, the concert moved between quiet, intimate moments and a lively exchange with fans.
SÃO PAULO | By Jade Cercal
Before arriving in São Paulo, MARO had performed in Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. According to the singer, performing in São Paulo is particularly special and holds a unique place in her heart. “I'm very excited. Every time I've come to this room, I've been very happy, and I think tonight is going to be even happier and more exciting,” she said. You could feel how important Brazil is to her, almost like a second home.
Even before MARO stepped onto the stage, three musicians from her touring band, Pedro Altério, Manuel Rocha and Carbeau, opened the show with their own songs. Longtime fans recognized the musicians through their friendship and musical collaborations with MARO.
Performing in São Paulo for the first time, Manuel Rocha presented songs including “Irmão”, with a soft, melodic guitar and beautiful vocals. After him, Carbeau took the stage to sing “Quella stanza di Paris” in Italian, along with two more songs, finishing with “Balanço”, a collaboration with Pedro Altério that they performed together.
Finally, Altério took the stage, emotional about performing in his hometown of São Paulo. He sang “Feliz pra Cachorro” from his band 5 a Seco and a cover of “Xi de Pirituba a Santo André” by Brazilian singer Tó Brandileone. He excited the audience by saying how happy he was to be there, encouraging everyone to make São Paulo one of the most memorable stops of the tour so he could brag about it to the rest of the band.
The show began with “When Mama Used to Sing”, creating an airy, dreamlike atmosphere. MARO slowly entered the stage in low lighting, with only the band's shadows visible. The way she captured the audience's attention made the venue fall into complete silence. She held the room with just her voice and the ethereal instrumentation.
MARO has a soft, distinctive voice and a unique way of singing. She uses melody as a form of storytelling, with magnetic vocal dynamics that draw you in almost like the call of a siren.
Photo: Jade Cercal / TMN
Right after, she played “I Owe It to You”, and the entire audience began singing in chorus. MARO interacts beautifully with the crowd, and her smile is enchanting. She makes it feel as if the songs were composed together with the audience. Hearing her sing and seeing how her songs connect with fans is a reminder of how music brings people together and creates lasting memories.
She introduced the musicians accompanying her throughout the tour, and it was noticeable how important they are to MARO, as well as to the fans themselves, almost like a family. You could perceive the admiration she has for them, transforming the show into something intimate. The performance became a shared celebration of her music.
MARO also showed enormous affection for her crew, making sure to acknowledge everyone before the show ended, from the sound technicians to the rest of the team. These gestures revealed her appreciation for the people behind the performance and contributed to the warmth of the evening.
She played “Kiss Me” afterwards, bringing a more upbeat vibe. One of the things you notice is how much she truly loves performing her songs, from asking the audience to sing along to fooling around and dancing with the musicians. The energy in the venue became vibrant.
Besides having great charisma, she was constantly smiling and making jokes. “If I'm being too ‘tuga’, let me know and I'll try to tone it down,” she said, making the audience laugh as if it were a normal conversation between friends.
She also sang songs from other albums, including the sentimental “Just Wanna Forget You” from her 2023 album Hortelã and “Chiquitinha” from her 2024 album Lifeline. According to MARO, “Chiquitinha” is one of her favorites because of its personal connection to her grandfather's passing.
Other emotional songs included “Saudade Saudade” and “Can You See Me” from her 2022 album Can You See Me. During “Can You See Me”, the audience turned on their phone flashlights and sang along in chorus. Many people were moved by the song, which explores absence and grief.
People of different generations were singing together, sharing the emotion and meaning of the music. The combination of voices in the same room was powerful. Her music is an example of how there is beauty in vulnerability.
Fans also chanted together, asking MARO for a special song that was not on the setlist: “Juro Que Vi Flores” from Can You See Me. Sung in Portuguese, the song is a collaboration with one of MARO's idols, Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento. MARO responded to the request by performing it with just her guitar, creating another intimate moment with her Brazilian fans.
The audience showed their affection in other ways, too. Some fans brought signs with phrases such as “I'll Always Love You”, while others presented her with a personalized Brazilian CPF-themed gift, playfully making her a “true Brazilian”. MARO loved the gesture and joked with the fans that she could finally say she was Brazilian too.
MARO sang her final songs, moving from the upbeat “Feeling So Nice” to the softer, swaying atmosphere of “It's Really Over”, before finishing with “We've Been Loving in Silence”. The nostalgic closing felt like one last hug for the fans.
As the evening came to an end, the audience at Casa Natura Musical was left feeling “Saudade Saudade” for MARO and her songs, carrying memories of the artist's welcoming melodies and poetic, deeply human lyrics.
Photo: Jade Cercal / TMN
