Skank

From Belo Horizonte, Brazil, emerged Skank, a band that managed to fuse the energy of Jamaican dancehall with the sensitivity of Brazilian pop. Their sound, a vibrant blend of rhythms and melodies, was forged with the stable lineup of Samuel Rosa on vocals and guitars, Henrique Portugal on keyboards, Lelo Zaneti on bass, and Haroldo Ferretti on drums. This combination gave life to a musical proposal that, since its beginnings in 1991, sought its own space in the music scene, selling nearly 6.6 million recordings throughout its career and establishing itself as one of the most impactful acts in Brazil. After 28 years of trajectory, the band announced its farewell in 2019, culminating its history with a tour between 2022 and 2023.

The origins of Skank date back to 1983, when Samuel Rosa and Henrique Portugal shared stages in a reggae band called Pouso Alto, alongside brothers Dinho and Alexandre Mourão. A show at São Paulo’s Aeroanta hall in 1991, for which Lelo Zaneti and Haroldo Ferretti joined due to the absence of the Mourão brothers, marked the turning point. It was just before that performance that they adopted the name Skank, inspired by Bob Marley’s "Easy Skanking," and debuted on June 5, 1991. Despite coinciding with the final of the Campeonato Brasileiro, only 37 people attended, including figures like André Jung and Charles Gavin. The chemistry worked, and they decided to continue, establishing themselves in venues such as Mister Beef and L'Apogée in Belo Horizonte. Their first album, released independently in 1992, was conceived as a CD to stand out in the industry, a bold bet for quality that soon caught the attention of Sony Music and its new Chaos label, which re-released the album in 1993.