Camisa de Vênus

Influenced by early Brazilian rock figures such as Raul Seixas along with British punk acts including the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Buzzcocks, DJ Marcelo Nova of Rádio Aratu FM in Salvador, Bahia, assembled guitarists Karl Hummel and Gustavo Müllen, bassist Robério Santana, and drummer Aldo Machado to launch Camisa de Vênus toward the end of 1980.

When Hummel headed to Europe the following year, the others chose to pause rather than recruit a substitute. Activities finally commenced in March 1982, leading five months later to the single “Meu Primo Zé,” which became a regional success across Rio and São Paulo. The group then cut its debut album, Camisa de Vênus, for Som Livre; issued in October 1983, the record attracted favorable attention, yet the label objected to the band’s raw edge and pressed for a name change. Camisa de Vênus therefore parted ways with Som Livre and spent the next two years touring independently.

Late in 1985 the band signed with RGE, which promptly re-released the first album and issued the second, Batalhão de Estranhos, preserving the same unpolished approach. Both LPs quickly earned gold status. The third effort, again emphasizing spontaneity, was captured live in March 1986 and yielded the hit “Sílvia.” Months afterward the musicians left RGE for WEA and recorded Correndo o Risco, an album that incorporated orchestral passages on “A Ferro e Fogo” yet still moved 200,000 units.

In 1987 they delivered the double set Duplo Sentido, which sold 40,000 copies and included a guest appearance by idol Raul Seixas on “Muita Estrela, Pouca Constelação.” Divergent artistic visions soon surfaced, prompting Nova and Müllen to exit. Together with keyboardist João Chaves, bassist Nadinho Feliciano, and drummer James Müller they formed A Envergadura Moral. (Gustavo Müllen died on May 28, 2024 at the age of 72.) The new lineup cut Marcelo Nova & A Envergadura Moral in 1988. The next year Nova joined Raul Seixas for A Panela do Diabo, Seixas’s final album before his death on August 21. With Nova aboard, A Envergadura Moral also released Blackout on Continental in 1991 and then went on hiatus.

Camisa de Vênus regrouped in 1994, adding guitarist Luís Sérgio Carlini, keyboardist Carlos Alberto Calazans, and drummer Franklin Paolillo to the core of Marcelo Nova, Karl Hummel, and Robério Santana. The reunion produced the live album Camisa de Vênus ao Vivo: Plugado! (Polygram, 1996) followed by Quem é Você? (Polygram, 1997).