Pedro Luís / Pedro Luis

Pedro Luís was acknowledged in the mid-'90s as a new talent in Brazilian pop music, bringing rap, funk, and hip-hop influences to samba and maracatu. His songs were recorded by Fernanda Abreu ("Tudo Vale a Pena"), Ney Matogrosso ("Fazê o quê?" and "Miséria no Japão," included in Olhos de Farol), Lenine, Ed Motta ("Birinaite"), O Rappa ("Miséria S/A"), Cidade Negra ("Cidade em Movimento"), and Adriana Calcanhotto ("Mão e Luva"). His group Pedro Luís e a Parede had some national success, also participating in the international scene backing the Japanese pop artist Miyazawa Kazufumi while touring Tokyo and Osaka and recording Afrosick. Astronauta Tupy, the band's first album, sold 50,000 copies, 10,000 of which were bought by Japanese audiences. "Pena de Vida" stayed in the Japanese Top 50 for weeks. In 1999, Pedro Luís e a Parede played in the Free Jazz Festival (Rio de Janeiro RJ and São Paulo SP). The following year the band played in Paris, France, at Euro Disney, the Café L'Opus, and La Fête de la Musique. With Marcos Leite's choral group Cobra Coral, Pedro Luís performed in the TV Globo festivals of 1980 and 1981. Together with Cazuza and Bebel Gilberto, he performed in the play Pára-Quedas do Coração. In 1981 he was a backing vocalist in Chico Buarque's show, Canta Brasil. He also participated in the formation of the Brazilian rock movement that began in the '80s, playing in its temple, the Circo Voador (Rio) with Banda Voadora from its inception in 1982. As a musician of the group Paris 400, he backed the theatrical group Asdrúbal Trouxe o Trombone, out of which came several members of Blitz, which also was influential in Brazilian rock. His "Sambock" had considerable airing at the Fluminense FM (Maldita). In 1984 Luis formed the punk band Urge, which recorded an independent album in 1981. He began to be noticed for his work as guitarist and musical director for Arícia Mess.