Metrô (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | São Paulo , Brazil |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Metrô is a Brazilian musical group established in 1978, originally known as A Gota Suspensa until their rebranding in 1984. Starting out as a progressive rock band, they transitioned into a synth-pop sound, ultimately becoming a significant presence in Brazil's 1980s rock and new wave movement.
Formation and A Gota Suspensa era (1978–1984)
The band was created by six French Brazilian friends attending São Paulo's Lycée Pasteur: Virginie Boutaud (vocals), Alec Haiat (guitar), Marcel Zimberg (saxophone), Yann Laouenan (keyboards), Xavier Leblanc (bass), and Dany Roland (drums). Initially, their music was experimental and progressive rock, drawing inspiration from Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Novos Baianos, and the Tropicalista movement. They performed widely throughout Brazil and released a self-titled album in 1983 through the independent label Underground Discos e Artes. Although it did not achieve commercial success, the album was praised by critics and developed a dedicated fan base.
Epic Records took interest following their debut, offering a contract contingent on adopting a more mainstream sound. Agreeing to this change—except for Zimberg, who exited—the group embraced a lighter, pop-oriented style influenced by Blondie and Rita Lee. In 1984, they changed their name to Metrô and launched the hit 7" single "Beat Acelerado."
Olhar, breakthrough and Virginie's exit (1985–1986)
Metrô's first album under their new name, Olhar, arrived in 1985 and marked commercial success with tracks such as "Tudo Pode Mudar", "Cenas Obscenas" featuring Léo Jaime, "Johnny Love" which appeared in the film Rock Estrela, and "Ti Ti Ti", the theme for a popular telenovela. The record featured guest contributions from Guilherme Isnard and members of Degradée. That same year, the band appeared in the movie Areias Escaldantes.
Rapidly ascending to prominence within Brazil’s music scene, Metrô toured extensively and regularly performed on television variety programs. They also contributed the song "Não Dá pra Parar a Música" to the children's TV show Balão Mágico.
Despite their achievements, Virginie became dissatisfied with the rigorous touring commitments and creative disagreements surfaced as the band pursued a more sophisticated sound inspired by Legião Urbana and Titãs. These conflicts culminated in Virginie's sudden dismissal in 1986. She subsequently formed Virginie & Fruto Proibido, releasing one album titled Crime Perfeito.
A Mão de Mao, dissolution and subsequent paths (1987–1988)
Following Virginie's departure, Portuguese artist Pedro d'Orey (also known as Pedro Parq), previously of experimental rock outfit Mler Ife Dada, took over vocal duties. With D'Orey onboard, Metrô returned to an avant-garde approach reminiscent of their beginnings. He suggested renaming the band "Tristes Tigres," but Epic Records rejected this idea. In 1987, they released their sophomore album A Mão de Mao, featuring D'Orey as lead singer. Shortly thereafter, drummer Dany Roland left the group; Edmundo Carneiro temporarily replaced him.
Although receiving some favorable critiques, A Mão de Mao did not perform well commercially and distanced much of their audience. Unable to recover their prior success, Metrô disbanded in 1988. The members embarked on diverse projects: Roland and Leblanc joined Okotô; Roland teamed with Yann Laouenan to form The Passengers in Brussels, releasing a well-received album in 1992. Leblanc opened La Tartine, a French-style bistro in São Paulo; Roland moved into acting and sound design based in Rio de Janeiro, collaborating artistically with his wife Bia Lessa on theater productions and films. Yann Laouenan relocated to Ceará. Alec and Freddy Haiat founded Habro, a music instrument retailer in São Paulo. Pedro d'Orey briefly returned to Portugal before settling again in São Paulo where he works as an interior designer.
Virginie exited the music industry in 1995 and left Brazil in 1996 with French diplomat Jean-Michel Manent, marrying him in 1999. The couple lived abroad before establishing residence in Saint-Orens-de-Gameville, France, in 2013. Manent died of cancer in 2015.
Déjà-Vu (2002–2004)
Towards the end of 2001, Virginie, Roland, and Laouenan came together again following conversations initiated by their former producer and manager Luiz Carlos Maluly. This reunion resulted in the 2002 release of Déjà-Vu, marking their first studio album in 17 years, issued by the independent label Trama. Alec Haiat was unavailable due to other projects and was substituted by André Fonseca, known from Patife Band and Okotô. Xavier Leblanc participated as a session bassist on two songs before Pedro Albuquerque took over the role. The album prominently incorporated Brazilian traditional styles like samba, bossa nova, and MPB, featuring collaborations with artists such as Preta Gil, Jorge Mautner, and Otto. Approximately one year after the album's debut, Yann departed from the group and was replaced by Donatinho, son of the pianist João Donato.
After touring extensively throughout Brazil, France, England, Portugal, and Mozambique, Metrô dissolved once more in 2004. Before disbanding, they contributed the track "Meu Amor, Meu Amor" to the 2005 tribute album Amália Revisited, honoring the legendary Portuguese vocalist Amália Rodrigues.
30th anniversary show, reunion and new album (2014–)
The founding members reunited for a single commemorative performance on November 8, 2014, at São Paulo’s La Luna Club, celebrating both Lycée Pasteur’s 50th anniversary and Metrô’s 30 years.
In May 2015, the band declared a full reunion with intentions to appear at São Paulo’s Virada Cultural on June 21; however, this event was delayed due to Virginie experiencing a personal bereavement and eventually took place in May 2016. On August 5, 2016, Warner Music Group issued a special 30th-anniversary edition of their debut album Olhar.
Dany Roland confirmed that work on their fourth studio album was underway. The group premiered the lead single "Dando Voltas no Mundo" live on Domingo Legal in August 2015. Their follow-up single "A Vida É Bela (Lalaiá)" was made available on streaming services in October 2016.
Current members
- Virginie Boutaud – lead vocals (1978–1986, 2002–2004, 2014, 2015–present)
- Daniel "Dany" Roland – drums (1978–1987, 2002–2004, 2014, 2015–present)
- Alec Haiat – electric guitar (1978–1988, 2014, 2015–present)
- Yann Laouenan – keyboards (1978–1988, 2002–2003, 2014, 2015–present)
- Xavier Leblanc – bass guitar (1978–1988, 2002, 2014, 2015–present)
Former members
- Pedro Parq (Pedro d'Orey) – vocals (1986–1988)
- Marcel Zimberg – saxophone (1978–1984)
- Edmundo Carneiro – drums (1987–1988)
- André Fonseca – electric guitar (2002–2004)
- Donatinho – keyboards (2003–2004)
- Pedro Albuquerque – bass guitar (2002–2004)
Studio albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1983 | A Gota Suspensa
|
| 1985 | Olhar
|
| 1987 | A Mão de Mao
|
| 2002 | Déjà-Vu
|
Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Beat Acelerado" | Olhar |
| 1985 | "Cenas Obscenas" (featuring Léo Jaime) | Olhar |
| 1985 | "Ti Ti Ti" | Olhar |
| 1985 | "Não Dá pra Parar a Música" (with Turma do Balão Mágico) | A Turma do Balão Mágico |
| 1987 | "Gato Preto" | A Mão de Mao |
| 1987 | "Lágrimas Imóveis" | A Mão de Mao |
| 2002 | "Achei Bonito" | Déjà-Vu |
| 2002 | "Resemblances" | Déjà-Vu |
| 2002 | "Mensagem de Amor" | Déjà-Vu |
| 2015 | "Dando Voltas no Mundo" | Single not associated with an album |
| 2016 | "A Vida É Bela (Lalaiá)" | Single released independently of an album |
Compilations
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Amália Revisited
|