Brazilian singer Michel Teló performed to a drastically reduced crowd on Sunday after heavy rain disrupted an outdoor concert in Vitória, Espírito Santo.
The 45-year-old sertanejo artist took the stage at Praça do Papa as part of official festivities organized by the local city hall to celebrate the 475th anniversary of the coastal capital. A video circulating on social media showed the expansive public square sitting practically empty as the musician played.
In the viral footage, Teló is seen performing a cover of the song Anna Júlia, originally released by Brazilian rock band Los Hermanos, while singing to the sparsely populated plaza. Another part of the recording captured a small group gathered directly in front of the stage, holding umbrellas and wearing plastic raincoats as they sang along with the performer despite the wet conditions.
Rain disrupts anniversary celebrations
The waterfront venue, Praça do Papa, is a prominent public gathering space in Vitória, the state capital of Espírito Santo in southeastern Brazil. Named in tribute to Pope John Paul II following his visit to the city in 1991, the park regularly hosts major community events, outdoor shows and civic celebrations.
Teló is one of Brazil's most recognizable sertanejo stars, a modern country music style that regularly draws tens of thousands of spectators to festivals across the country. The singer and composer achieved global prominence in 2011 with his international hit single Ai Se Eu Te Pego, which topped charts throughout Latin America and Europe. In addition to touring, he is widely known to television audiences as a multi-season winning coach on the reality series The Voice Brasil.
Sunday's concert was arranged as part of a series of free public concerts sponsored by the city hall of Vitória for the founding anniversary. Municipal organizers kept the event schedule moving forward despite the bad weather, with performances by musical acts Samba Júnior and Raí Saia Rodada scheduled to take place on Monday.
