Los Hermanos

When Los Hermanos started to gain traction, an interesting blend was noticeable. They came from rock, yes, but they added the cadence of samba and MPB, and even flirted with ska and hardcore, especially in their early days. Imagine, PUC-RJ students who came together to create something that contrasted the intensity of hardcore with lighter lyrics about love. To this foundation, keyboardist Bruno Medina was added, followed by Rodrigo Amarante on vocals, guitar, and percussion, and Patrick Laplan on bass. Before that, in 1997, they had already recorded their first demos, "Chora" and "Amor e Folia", which began to resonate in Rio de Janeiro’s underground scene.

The big leap came in 1999, when they signed with Abril Music and released their debut album, the one that shares the band’s name, Los Hermanos. This album resonated strongly with young audiences, who connected with its lyrics, evoking a Jovem Guarda vibe but with instrumentation that fused rock, ska, and samba. The song that truly put them on the map was "Anna Júlia", chosen by the label as the lead single. Production was handled by Rick Bonadio, who, as the story goes, was instrumental in including this track in the final lineup. "Anna Júlia" not only aired on every radio station but also took them to all kinds of events, from stadiums to agricultural fairs, and to perform before crowds of over 80,000 people. The music video, featuring actress Mariana Ximenes, was everywhere, and by the end of that year, they had sold 300,000 copies and had two singles in the charts: "Anna Júlia" and "Primavera". This album earned them a Grammy nomination in 2000.