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When the group of five friends comprising Sorriso Maroto began performing around São Paulo at friends' parties and small gatherings in 1997, they probably had little idea that they would become one of the genre's favorite groups within a decade. Favoring the popular style called pagode, a subgenre of samba made popular in the early '80s in Rio de Janeiro by groups like Grupo Fundo de Quintal and Zeca Pagodinho, the band found an enthusiastic audience almost immediately. As Bruno (voice), Cris (pandiero, percussion), Sergio (violao), Fred (surdo, percussion), and Vinicius (keyboards) began to pick up steam, they moved from after-hours parties to the city's most important nightclubs. Sorriso Maroto's self-titled debut disc, released in 2002, became a bestseller throughout São Paulo. Thanks to their polished performances and media-friendly good looks, the bandmembers found an eager and inviting audience as they performed throughout Brazil. The band's follow-up disc, Por Voce, released in 2003, hit national Top Ten lists and remained there for a lengthy period of time. The tour that followed produced the hugely popular Por Voce: Ao Vivo, released in 2005. The live disc's warm reception paved the way for the band's third studio album released a year later, entitled Diferente. As much of Brazilian pop music turned toward a rock band aesthetic, Sorriso Maroto's traditional Brazilian instrumentation yet contemporary-sounding repertoire earned them a reputation as one of pagode's most popular touring and recording groups of the mid-2000s. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez

Neo-pagode group formed in São Paulo by the friends Luiz Carlos (guitar) and Paulinho (bass) in 1983 in the working-class suburb of Vila Nhocuné, the Raça Negra owes its popularity to a great extent to its sensuous choreography, romantic lyrics, mellifluous melodies, and strongly catchy refrains. Inviting another friend, Fena, to do the percussion, soon the duo was also joined by Fernando Monstrinho, Fininho, Gabú (who left the group in 1997), and Edson Café. In 1991, their demo tape resulted in a contract with RGE, and in that year the first Raça Negra album came out, featuring "Caroline" (Luiz Carlos). Other hits on that album were "Quero Ver Você Chorar," "Somente Você," and "Chega." The success brought invitations for performances on TV in Rio and São Paulo. The visual impact of their choreography yielded more invitations for shows, and the group enjoyed nationwide popularity. Other Raça Negra hits are "Cigana," "Quando Te Encontrei," "Cheia de Manias," "Doce Paixão," and "Me Leva Junto com Você." ~ Alvaro Neder