Zaz fills Vivo Rio and thrills with Alceu

With Alceu Valença joining the encore, Zaz turned Vivo Rio into a French-Brazilian celebration and ended the night to roaring applause.

One of the biggest names in modern French music, Zaz won over Rio on Saturday, March 7, with a show full of motion, emotion and swagger. Now 45 and riding the momentum of her latest album “Sains et Saufs”, she proved why her mix of pop, jazz and chanson still feels fresh, vibrant and deeply alive on stage.

Before the headliner, singer Luiza opened the night with a set rooted in a strong French-Brazilian identity. One of her most striking moments came when she taught the crowd the chorus of a song dedicated to Oxalá and Iemanjá. That instantly created a sense of communion and set the multicultural tone that would shape the entire evening.

Zaz turns French music into movement

French music is often framed as elegant and classic, but Zaz pushes it somewhere more physical. Her performance brings in Latin accents and a pop pulse that makes the concert feel constantly in motion. At the same time, she never stands still, spinning, dropping to the floor, hitting the drum cymbal and working every inch of the stage.

There were quieter passages, especially in “Je Pardonne”, which opened the set, and in “Au Pays Des Merveilles”. Even so, songs like “Que Vendrá” and “On Ira”, the last one before the encore, showed her command of the room with the ease of a major pop performer. The audience stayed with her at every turn.

In the encore, her version of “La Vie En Rose”, forever tied to Edith Piaf, highlighted that same blend of classic and contemporary. The updated instrumental frame felt modern without stripping away the song’s emotional weight. As a result, Zaz once again showed how she can renew tradition without losing its soul.

Alceu Valença lifts the encore

Alceu Valença had already drawn cheers when he appeared in the boxes before the show began. But the real peak came during the encore. When he walked onstage to perform “La Belle de Jour”, the 2024 single he released with Zaz, the room witnessed its most emotional scene of the night.

It did not feel like a routine guest spot. Zaz treated the Brazilian singer with visible reverence and gave him room to shine, which turned the duet into a shared celebration. More than a cameo, it became the clearest expression of the cultural bridge built throughout the concert at Vivo Rio.

A Brazilian tribute seals the night

The tribute to Brazil did not stop there. Right after that, Zaz and her band delivered a confident take on “Samba em Prelúdio”, by Vinicius de Moraes, deepening the dialogue between French repertoire and Brazilian song. That choice gave the final stretch of the set even more warmth.

From there, the ending was pure release. “Je Veux”, Zaz’s biggest hit, closed the concert in a wave of excitement, with the crowd clearly unwilling to let the night end. Her long farewell left the strong impression that this reunion with Rio has already earned its place in the city’s musical memory once again.

Photo: Divulgação