Raimundos is a Brazilian band that mixes the Northeastern rhythms of forró with hardcore rock. Their lyrics are very much indebted to a kind of humor that makes explicit references to sex and they also use a lot of double entendre. With that formula, the band acquired a broad fan base and a lot of TV exposure, becoming an important part of the projects of MTV Brasil. They have sold more than a million copies of their albums. Formed in Brasília (Federal District) in 1987 by a group of friends, they performed for the first time at a New Year's Eve party in 1988. In 1993 they recorded their first demo tape, which was well-received by the alternative audiences, yielding invitations to perform on MTV Brasil and festivals like the Junta Tribo (Campinas, São Paulo), when they became nationally famous, and the M2000 Summer Concerts (Santos, São Paulo), where they played for 80,000 people and were acknowledged as the festival's Revelation Band. In 1994 they released their first solo album, Raimundos, which went gold and exploded t radio with "Selim." Their second album, Lavô Tá Novo, (already released by WEA in 1995) was also a success with the hits "Eu Quero Ver o Oco," "O Pão da Minha Prima," and "I Saw You Saying." They soon started touring internationally. Unfortunately, the tour behind their third album, Lapadas do Povo, was marked by a disaster that caused the death of eight of the band's fans. Canceling upcoming stops, Raimundos returned to the stage two months later. Looking for a lighter and more humorous feel to counterpoint the sad event, the band released Só no Forevis in 1999. On the brink of its release, the initial 100,000 copies of the album were stolen and they had to wait for another week for its release. "Mulher de Fases" boomed at radio and MTV Brasil (where the band won the Escolha da Audiência in the VMB 1999), bringing them maximum exposure on TV and a platinum record with over 500,000 copies sold. Raimundos were then invited to produce a rendition of a Fábio Jr. song to be used as the opening theme for the MTV Brasil program 20 e Poucos Anos. They were also chosen to perform "Give My Bullet Back" for the Brazilian soundtrack for Mission Impossible II. In 2000, they were selected to open MTV Brasil's new live project, MTV Ao Vivo, which recorded classic bands live and released the shows on CD and DVD, and as a TV special. Released in October 2000, MTV ao Vivo had three hits: "Deixa Eu Falar," "20 e Poucos Anos," and "Reggae do Manêro," and sold more than 500,000 copies. ~ Alvaro Neder