Brazilian-born guitarist Mateus Asato has shot to fame in recent years, having proved himself a versatile shredder and hired gun for pop stars like Bruno Mars and Tori Kelly.
A long-time Suhr endorser, he was bestowed a signature model in 2018. He’s since become a Neural DSP darling with a signature plugin, which he used to write a song with Plini in 24 hours, he's starred on Martin Miller’s YouTube channel reimagining classic rock and pop songs, and at guitar clinics alongside John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, and Steve Vai.
Indeed, while he may have gained notoriety by strumming his lust-worthy collection of electric guitars for pop giants in stadiums and arenas around the world, he’s also held his own when sharing stages with the shred elite.
Among those performances was a rather last-gasp chance to join Nuno Bettencourt and Extreme on stage at the Best of Rock and Blues festival in his homeland. It was one he wasn’t going to turn down… if he could make it.
“It was the most last-minute thing ever,” he tells Guitar World. “Nuno posted that he was in Brazil, and I sent him a message because I was there, too. My phone rang and he told me to get to Sao Paulo right away.”
Time was of the essence if he was going to make it to the stage in time. Luckily, he’s as adept at traveling across the country on public transport as he is across the fretboard.
“Only one flight could get me there in time,” he continues. “I arrived 30 minutes before guesting on 'Get the Funk Out.'”
For the performance, he counterbalanced Bettencourt’s go-to Washburn signature with a Gibson Les Paul loaded with P90 pickups, and his face is a picture of pure joy throughout.
“Nuno is one of my biggest inspirations,” Asato says. “He’s amazing on the records, but his live performances give me chills. His right hand blows me away, it’s so rhythmic and funky. His energy is unbelievable — and his guitar is so freaking low, it’s mind-blowing how he does it!”
Yet, despite his rising star in the guitar world, many are more interested in how he came to play stadiums with some of the biggest names in contemporary pop.
“I guess there’s a lot of curiosity with me. People wonder ‘How?’ because I’m involved in the pop scene. It helps avoid getting stuck in the things us guitarists love – playing too many notes on a quest for good tone! I try to keep my mind open and be diverse.”
Asato joined Bruno’s Grammy-winning Silk Sonic band, featuring singer/rapper Anderson .Paak, in 2021, despite the guitarist feeling he may not be the most suited for the role.
“It’s interesting because we don’t have the same language on guitar,” he says. “There are similarities, but our differences are what make it such a beautiful encounter. There are always cards you can throw on the table to impress the other player. His music is ’70s funk-led, and though I never mastered funk, I tried to get the basics covered.
“I’m coming in as something different — I’m a soloist. Bruno realized it could work because of that. He’s a brilliant musician, an exceptional singer, and a dancer who plays drums and guitar. I was blown away at that first rehearsal.
“I knew there were more appropriate guitar players for the Silk Sonic gig. Bruno felt it was a great match because I could do the shred stuff on top.”
He left the band after a whirlwind tour a year later, and now, three years since is readying his first solo album after a gentle push by ex-Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro.
“I remember hanging out with Kiko Loureiro at a guitar camp, and him telling me those snippets on my Instagram aren’t actually songs. He stopped me and said, ‘What you’ve been doing online is like a musical mosaic.’
“Right now, I can say I’ve never been more excited about my own project. Before this point, I wasn’t sure if I was ready. Now I understand we all have references – no man is an island — but I can only be Mateus Asato. I go to bed and think of the album. I wake up and think of the album. It feels amazing!”
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