Shaman

The Brazilian metal band Shaman was formed in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2000 by vocalist and keyboard player Andre Matos, bassist Luis Mariutti and drummer Ricardo Confessori, all men being former members of the band Angra. The group became a four-piece when Hugo Mariutti, a session player who had originally been drafted in by his brother Luis to help with songwriting, was invited to become a permanent member of the band.

When creating their debut album 'Ritual' the band combined heavy metal and classical music mixed in with some traditional Brazilian influences. The unusual combination worked and 'Ritual' was eventually released in 15 countries with a supporting tour which lasted more than 18 months and built up an international fan base.

Over the years the band endured a number of line-up changes with only Ricardo Confessori remaining a constant throughout the band's history. In 2006 they had a major upheaval when the Mariutti brothers left along with Matos. In 2018 all three men rejoined the group and relaunched the band in its original format although Matos sadly died in 2019 from heart disease.