Finis Africae

Formed in Brasília (Distrito Federal) during 1984, the vocal and instrumental rock outfit Finis Africae brought together Rodrigo Leitão on vocals, José Flores on guitar, Neto Pavanelli handling bass and keyboards, and Ronaldo Pereira on drums and percussion. Drawing from the atmospheric approach of English groups such as Joy Division and the Cure, the quartet quickly moved into support slots for Legião Urbana and Plebe Rude. Their contributions to the 1985 compilation Rumores—“Van Gogh” and “Ética”—earned favorable notices and led to an invitation to cut a debut solo effort, the six-track mini-LP Finis Africae. Shortly afterward, Eduardo Moraes stepped in for Leitão on lead vocals. Renato Russo’s assistance helped secure a contract with EMI in 1987; the label issued the full-length Finis Africae that same year, which moved 40,000 units. In 1988, Pavanelli and Flores departed, making way for Roberto Medeiros on bass, Mac Gregor on keyboards, and César Nine on guitar, a lineup that remained intact through 1990. The band then entered a period of inactivity lasting until 1999. Two years later they returned with the CD Maxi-Single, a collection of remixes drawn from earlier material, and they appeared on the Anos 80 Rock Brasil bills in both 1999 and 2000 alongside Hojerizah, Violeta de Outono, Zero, and Uns e Outros. Throughout their career Finis Africae scored notable success with “Armadilha,” “Máquinas,” “Mentiras,” “Ask the Dust,” and “Deus Ateu,” in addition to the tracks already mentioned.