Cazuza
His songs combined desire and political anger, and his public disclosure of AIDS challenged silence around the epidemic in Brazil.
Agenor de Miranda Araújo Neto, known as Cazuza, was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1958. The son of record executive João Araújo, he grew up surrounded by music and became the singer and lyricist of Barão Vermelho in the early 1980s.
After leaving the band, he built a solo career with songs including “Exagerado” (1985), “Ideologia” and “Brasil” (1988). His lyrics could move from romantic excess to anger at corruption and the disappointments of Brazil’s transition from dictatorship. The directness of his language helped make the songs part of a wider public conversation.
Cazuza spoke about relationships with men and women. In 1989 he publicly disclosed that he had AIDS, at a time when the illness carried severe stigma. Sensational coverage of his declining health prompted debate about the treatment of people living with the disease.
He continued recording and working despite serious illness and died in 1990, aged 32. His mother, Lucinha Araújo, subsequently founded Sociedade Viva Cazuza to support people affected by HIV, including children. His songs and that continuing work became different parts of his legacy.