Titãs

Formed in 1982 in the city of São Paulo, Titãs are one of the longest-running and most influential rock groups in Brazil. Throughout their decades-spanning career, their music has flirted with punk, new wave, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), and electronica, and it has been extensively covered by other artists. The group was originally composed of vocalists Branco Mello, Arnaldo Antunes, and Ciro Pessoa, bass player Nando Reis, rhythm guitarist Marcelo Fromer, lead guitarist Tony Bellotto, multi-instrumentalist Paulo Miklos, drummer André Jung, and keyboardist Sérgio Britto. They made their live debut at Sesc Pompeia in 1982 and then signed with WEA Records for their eponymous studio debut in 1984. Even though it wasn’t considered a success at the time, the album featured their first hit “Sonífera Ilha.” Drummer André Jung left the group shortly after releasing their debut LP and was replaced by Charles Gavin, who first appeared on 1985’s Televisão. Produced by Lulu Santos, Titãs’ sophomore effort was both a critical and commercial success, selling over 100,000 copies. They followed up in 1986 with Cabeça Dinossauro, a more punk-influenced record that criticized institutions and was instantly hailed as a masterpiece despite suffering heavy censorship. During the first half of the ‘90s, the band teamed up with American producer Jack Endino and released the grunge-tinged LPs Tudo ao Mesmo Tempo Agora (1991), Titanomaquia (1993), and Domingo (1995). Following the success of 1997’s Acústico MTV, Titãs returned with Volume Dois (1998) and As Dez Mais (1999), the last album before Marcelo Fromer’s death in 2001. The group’s evolution continued in the early aughts with the full-lengths A Melhor Banda de Todos os Tempos da Última Semana (2001), Como Estão Vocês? (2003), and Sacos Plásticos (2009), which won the Latin Grammy for Best Brazilian Rock Album and spawned the hit single “Porque Eu Sei que É Amor.” Subsequent releases include 2014’s Nheengatu and Doze Flores Amarelas (2018), a rock opera written and recorded after Miklo’s departure in 2016.