Cazuza was born in Rio de Janeiro, the only child of a middle-class family. His real name was Agenor de Miranda Araújo Neto but he was always known by the nickname Cazuza (Rascal) given to him by his father, an executive in the recording business.
After a stable childhood he became a rebellious teenager, exploring the frenetic nightlife of Rio and cutting school.
He dropped out of university in his first year and tried unsuccessfully to find his vocation in the theatre and as a photographer.
In 1981 he teamed up with a rock band called Barão Vermelho (Red Baron) and became their lead singer and song-writer.
In 1984 Cazuza, whose striking good looks always attracted attention, was leading a frenetic lifestyle, partying all night, consuming alcohol, drugs and sex, and frequently acting crazy.
In 1985 Cazuza broke with the band and went solo.
In the same year he suffered the first symptoms of AIDS. Rumors spread about his health but he denied having AIDS until February 1989, when he publicly ackowledged his illness in an interview.
This was a courageous step, helping to break some of the taboos surrounding the illness.
As the illness took its toll, Cazuza's life became more restrained. His songs and performances became more serious, reflecting the social issues which concerned the great mass of the Brasilian population.
From then on, frequent bouts of illness with spells in hospital made his performing more difficult, but he insisted on recording his last double-album Burguesia.
Cazuza died in the apartment of his parents. To commemorate him, his mother set up the Viva Cazuza Society, a charity which sponsors AIDS prevention work and provides a home for HIV-positive children. Cazuza was openly bisexual and, according to his mother's biography, had an affair with Ney Matogrosso, a famous androgynous singer.
He was not close to the gay movement but his public acknowledgment of his position as a person with AIDS helped to change public attitudes and dispel some of the prejudice surrounding the disease in Brazil.
