Skank (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Samuel Rosa, Henrique Portugal, Lelo Zaneti, Haroldo Ferretti |
| Defunct | 2023 |
| Headquarters | Belo Horizonte , Brazil |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Skank was a pop rock group originating from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, active between 1991 and 2023. By the year 2004, their album sales had reached approximately 5.2 million copies. Initially, their music combined dancehall rhythms with traditional Brazilian influences, but over time they evolved toward a style shaped by Britpop and the regional Clube da Esquina movement. Their concluding live performance occurred on March 26, 2023, at Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte.
Biography
The origins of the band trace back to 1983 when Samuel Rosa (guitar and vocals) and Henrique Portugal (keyboards) established the rock group "Pozo Alto" alongside Dinho Mourão (drums) and Alexandre Mourão (bass). In 1991, due to the unavailability of the Mourão brothers for a show in São Paulo, Lelo Zaneti (bass) and Haroldo Ferretti (drums) joined the lineup. Their first concert under this formation took place on June 5, 1991, attracting an audience of 37 people, as it coincided with the final match of the Campeonato Paulista. Soon after, they adopted the name Skank, inspired by Bob Marley's song "Easy skanking," and began performing regularly in Belo Horizonte.
Following performances in local clubs, Skank self-financed their debut album Skank with a budget of US$10,000 in late 1992, pressing 3,000 copies. Within just 45 days, they sold 1,200 units independently. Sony Music subsequently signed them as the first Brazilian band on its Chaos label and reissued the album in April 1993. Singles like "O Homem Que Sabia Demais" and "Tanto" fueled a nationwide tour consisting of 120 shows and boosted sales to around 250,000 copies.
Their sophomore release, Calango (1994), produced by Dudu Marote, featured popular tracks such as "É Proibido Fumar" and "Jackie Tequila," achieving sales near 1.2 million copies. The following album, O Samba Poconé (1996), included notable hits like "Tão Seu," "É Uma Partida de Futebol"—which appeared on FIFA's official soundtrack for the 1998 World Cup—and "Garota Nacional," which dominated Spanish charts for three months under the title "Chica Nacional." This album sold approximately 1.8 million copies and supported tours across Latin America and Europe. Collaborations with Manu Chao were also part of this project.
Released in 1998, Siderado, produced by John Shaw (UB40) and Paul Ralphes, marked a transition toward a more rock-oriented sound with singles like "Resposta." The album sold about 750,000 copies and featured guest appearances from Daúde and Uakti.
In 1999, Skank contributed a Spanish-language rendition of "Wrapped Around Your Finger" for the tribute compilation Outlandos d'America. With Maquinarama (2000), co-produced by Chico Neves and Tom Capone, they embraced stronger rock influences inspired by The Beatles and Britpop. This release moved 275,000 copies and included singles such as "Três Lados."
The live recording MTV ao Vivo: Skank (2001), captured in Ouro Preto as part of MTV Brasil's series, sold 600,000 copies. It combined fan-favorite songs with the new track "Acima do Sol." In 2002, Samuel Rosa contributed acoustic guitar to Roberto Carlos' Acústico MTV project.
Cosmotron (2003), co-produced by Skank alongside Tom Capone, reached sales of 250,000 copies but did not match prior commercial success. It featured radio hits like "Supernova" and earned the Latin Grammy Award for Best Brazilian Rock Album in 2004.
Their first greatest hits collection, Radiola (2004), contained four fresh tracks including a cover of Gilberto Gil’s "Vamos Fugir," selling around 200,000 copies.
In August 2006, Carrossel, produced by Chico Neves and Carlos Eduardo Miranda, was released featuring moderate hits such as "Uma Canção É Pra Isso." Contributions came from artists like Arnaldo Antunes and Humberto Effe.
Reuniting with producer Dudu Marote for Estandarte in 2008, Skank delivered singles including "Ainda Gosto Dela" featuring Negra Li and the chart-topping "Sutilmente," although overall album sales were limited.
On June 19, 2010, prior to Mineirão stadium’s closure for renovations ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Skank performed a free concert there. This event was recorded for their live album and DVD titled Multishow ao Vivo: Skank no Mineirão, which introduced two new songs: "De Repente" and "Fotos na Estante."
International career
Skank gained worldwide acclaim with the hit "Garota Nacional," which reached the top position on Spanish music charts, and "É Uma Partida de Futebol," included in the official soundtrack of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Following the release of O Samba Poconé, the group embarked on tours across Latin America and Europe, appearing at prominent events such as Super Bock/Super Rock 1997 in Portugal, the 1997 Páleo Festival, St. Gallen Festival in Switzerland (1998), Montreux Jazz Festival (2001), and SummerStage in New York City (2002). Their performances also extended to Rock in Rio Lisboa in 2008 and Brazil's fourth edition of Rock in Rio in 2011. Notably, Skank, along with other Brazilian bands, withdrew from Rock in Rio II (2001) to protest the exclusion of O Rappa.
Although some tracks were translated into Spanish—like "Chica Nacional" (originally "Garota Nacional") and "Respuesta" ("Resposta")—Skank's international reach remained relatively modest, concentrating primarily on regions with significant Brazilian populations such as Miami and New York City.
Members
- Samuel Rosa: lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
- Henrique Portugal: keyboards, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Lelo Zaneti: bass guitar, backing vocals
- Haroldo Ferretti: drums
Touring members
- Doca Rolim: electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals (2003–2023)
- Paulo Márcio: trumpet (1998–2023)
- Pedro Aristides: trombone (2003–2023)
- Vinícius Augustus: saxophone (2008–2023)
- Marcos Gauguin: electric guitar (1991)
- Chico Amaral: saxophone (1991–1998, 2017), acoustic guitar (during Maquinarama tour)
- João Vianna: trumpet (1991–1998)
- Ed Maciel: trombone (1994–1996)
- Edivaldo Silva: trombone (1996–1998)
- Jorge Continentino: saxophone (1998–2001)
- Wagner Mayer: trombone (1998–2001)
Studio albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1992 | Skank |
| 1994 | Calango |
| 1996 | O Samba Poconé |
| 1998 | Siderado |
| 2000 | Maquinarama |
| 2003 | Cosmotron |
| 2006 | Carrossel |
| 2008 | Estandarte |
| 2014 | Velocia |
Live albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2001 | MTV ao Vivo: Skank |
| 2010 | Multishow ao Vivo: Skank no Mineirão |
| 2012 | Rock in Rio 2011 - Skank |
| 2018 | Os Três Primeiros |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Radiola |
| 2012 | Skank 91 |
| 2013 | Mega Hits: Skank |
Video albums
| Year | Album | Information |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | MTV ao Vivo: Skank | Live concert recorded at Praça Tiradentes, Ouro Preto, Brazil |
| 2002 | Videografia (1994-2001) | Collection of music videos |
| 2004 | Multishow ao Vivo: Skank | Live show recorded at Olympia, São Paulo, Brazil |
| 2010 | Multishow ao Vivo: Skank no Mineirão | Live performance captured at Mineirão Stadium, Belo Horizonte, Brazil |
| 2012 | Rock in Rio 2011 - Skank | Live set from Rock in Rio IV, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| 2018 | Os Três Primeiros | Live recording at Circo Voador, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
Awards
- In 2004, Cosmotron secured the Latin Grammy for Best Brazilian Rock Album.
- Skank was honored with Spain's Premio Ondas as the New Latin Group in 1997.
- The MTV Video Music Brazil accolades awarded to Skank include Viewer's Choice for "Garota Nacional" (1996) and "É Uma Partida de Futebol" (1997), Video of the Year for "Mandrake e os Cubanos" (1999), along with several Pop Video awards spanning from 1996 to 2004.
References