Péricles praised for Rock in Rio set

Péricles’ Rock in Rio performance became a talking point on September 7 after Brazilian entertainment outlets and social posts highlighted strong audience reaction to his set in Rio de Janeiro. Gshow reported that the singer was “ovacionado” after appearing at the festival with the special project “Péricles Canta Motown.” Earlier the same day, g1 had previewed the show as a tribute to Motown artists including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5. (g1.globo.com) The performance stood out because it placed one of Brazil’s best-known pagode voices inside a repertoire built around U.S. soul and R&B references. (g1.globo.com) G1 reported that Péricles, a former Exaltasamba singer, said the show would create a “dialogue between Black musics” and trace links between Motown, Boyz II Men and Brazilian pagode writers such as Almir Guineto, Jorge Aragão and Arlindo Cruz. (setlist.fm) Gshow said the reaction on X amounted to a “chuva de elogios.” ### What exactly did Péricles perform at Rock in Rio? G1 reported before the concert that Péricles would take the Sunset stage on September 7 and sing songs associated with Motown’s catalog. The outlet said the set would draw on artists including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5, framing the show as a tribute rather than a standard greatest-hits appearance. (gshow.globo.com) Gshow reported after the concert that the project was presented under the name “Péricles Canta Motown.” Its coverage described the set as a homage to Motown Records, which it called the home of artists including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5. (g1.globo.com) ### Why were fans linking pagode and Motown? Péricles told g1 that the idea for the format came after a 2025 appearance at The Town with Dexter, when festival executive Zé Ricardo saw him perform partly in English and suggested the model for the Rock in Rio show. G1 said Péricles described the set as an attempt to connect strands of Black music rather than simply reproduce old hits. (g1.globo.com) The singer also told g1 that pagode from the 1990s and soul and R&B associated with Motown in the 1970s and 1980s “bebem da mesma fonte,” or draw from the same source. He pointed to similarities in romantic lyrics and groove, and cited Boyz II Men and Babyface alongside Brazilian songwriters. (gshow.globo.com) ### What evidence is there that the set landed? Gshow published its reaction piece at 20:11 local time on September 7 under the headline that Péricles had been cheered for “fazendo história.” The outlet said Brazil “stopped to ovacionar” the singer’s soul-music version during the festival appearance and that praise spread on X after the show. (g1.globo.com) The social briefing tied to this story also pointed to X posts that called the performance one of the festival’s best and urged a live album or tour release. The referenced post ID 2097101153838231816 was identified in the briefing as linking fan reactions and video highlights from Rock in Rio. (g1.globo.com) ### How does this fit into Rock in Rio’s schedule? Setlist and festival listings show Rock in Rio 2026 running from September 4 to September 13 in Rio de Janeiro. The official Rock in Rio site lists September 7 as one of the festival dates, and third-party festival listings also place the 2026 edition across that span. Rock in Rio’s official pages say the 2026 festival continues through September 13. (gshow.globo.com) That gives the performance a clear place in the middle of the event’s run, with additional acts still scheduled in Rio after Péricles’ set. (setlist.fm)