“Could this be the first boy band in the history of MPB?” Os Garotin jokingly asked their followers in an Instagram Reel. While Música Popular Brasileira (MPB, or “popular Brazilian music”) is a complicated genre to describe, there has been a historical divide between it and pop music — a narrow line that Os Garotin walk, carrying along with them the influences of several other music genres and their Brazilian interpretations of them.
A diminutive for “os garotinhos,” meaning “the boys” in Portuguese, the group is made of three artists that add different flavors to their music — Anchietx represents R&B and rap, Leo Guima represents the Brazilian tradition of soul music, and Cupertino leans more towards the traditional sense of MPB, though he admits there is not a clear definition of what it is. “[MPB] is very comprehensive,” he tells Remezcla. “In a first analysis, Os Garotin is not necessarily an MPB group, but it can be. But at the same time, many people describe our music as pop. I consider our music popular, but it’s an idea of ‘popular’ that hasn’t been done in a long time [in Brazil].”
Growing up in the peripheries of São Gonçalo, about 19 miles from Rio de Janeiro, the church and the streets were equally important to the group’s musical education. “We can agree that we are a continuation of [the Brazilian soul music tradition] because we grew up listening to Tim Maia, Cassiano, [and] Djavan,” Guima says, to which Cupertino adds, “And they all come from this same American [soul]-influenced music, which also influences gospel music,” referring to Brazilian Protestant music. While Anchietx believes that church music and soul music complete each other, he emphasizes that the tradition of the Brazilian church is not very welcoming of musical elements such as batuque, the percussion used in Afro-Brazilian cultural and religious practices. “At church, we learned more about the melodies, chords, vocals,” Anchietx says. “But the real ‘malandragem’ begins when we put together the things we learned at church and the things we learned on the streets.” “Malandragem” refers to a street-smart type of wisdom, but in this context, it could easily be translated as “magic,” which is what you get when the three members are together on stage.
Their syntony when performing is grounded in their natural chemistry as artists and friends. “This is the first and the best boy band in the history of MPB, especially because it’s the only one,” Cupertino laughs. “The term ‘boy band’ sounds more like an American type of pop,” Guima adds light-heartedly. “But we’re abrasileirando,” Anchietx completes, using a Brazilian verb meaning to make something more Brazilian-style.
“The songs recorded by the three of us gotta have a special spice because it needs to [convey] the personality of the three of us, and there must be moments for each one to come through,” Cupertino says. Guima adds that each member usually sings the part of the song they wrote. Not being signed to a record label allows them to write and create in whatever way feels best. But ultimately, their friendship is what makes it all work. However, they needed an outside push to turn this bond into a professional project.
This is the first and the best boy band in the history of MPB, especially because it’s the only one… The term ‘boy band’ sounds more like an American type of pop, but we’re abrasileirando.
While they all had similar stories and their own solo careers, it wasn’t until 2019 that they formed “Os Garotin de São Gonçalo” for fun. Though they knew they matched artistically, the courage to pursue the project professionally came thanks to music entrepreneur and wife of Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso, Paula Lavigne. “We were living an adventure, sort of like the beginning stages of dating. But she said, ‘We’re not waiting 10 years to make this happen. It has to be now.’ Then Os Garotin was officially born in 2023. If it weren’t for [Lavigne], we would have postponed it more,” Cupertino says.
Lavigne’s vision was fulfilled quite fast. Their song “Zero a Cem” amassed millions of views on YouTube in the first weeks of release. Almost like a realization of its title – translating to “zero to a hundred” — it references a relationship that escalates quickly. Co-written by Anchietx two years before the trio decided to release music together, he didn’t think it could be a hit at first. “I’ve been in this market for quite some time, and I’ve heard too many promises about what kind of artist I could be. This made me a fearful person. I didn’t want to give my best songs to this project. I thought ‘Zero a Cem’ was a weak song, but the guys thought it was fucking great,” he recounts with laughs. The public ultimately agreed with Cupertino and Guima: not only did “Zero a Cem” and all the other songs from their 2023 EP perform well on streaming platforms, but Os Garotin’s first concert in São Paulo sold out.
The year 2024 marks the release of their first full album, followed by appearances on Brazilian TV alongside children’s pop icon Xuxa and nominations at Prêmio Multishow and the Latin Grammys. “There are levels [to being] mainstream,” Anchietx notes. “It’s not only about numbers but also about hype.” “Given [the type of music] we do, we have reached great places, but [to be mainstream], you gotta reach the smaller cities too,” Guima adds. “We are nominated for Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album [at the Latin Grammys] against Luísa Sonza, IZA, Jão… These are mainstream artists, but we’re there among them. We’re still trying to figure this all out, and we’re taking it slow,” Cupertino says. Os Garotin is also up for Best New Artist against the likes of Latin Mafia and Ela Taubert. “If [everything that’s happening] means we’re mainstream, then great, let’s go on. We’re not running away from this [label], but we’re not doing anything to fit in either,” Cupertino adds.
Os Garotin may not have thought of gaining so many achievements when they wrote “Who would think this day would come?” in the lyrics of their song “Vini Jr.,” which pays tribute to the Real Madrid footballer who also hails from São Gonçalo. But whether they win or not at the Latin Grammys next week, they’ve already made São Gonçalo and Brazil proud. And one thing is for certain — they won’t be stopping anytime soon.
