Inocentes

Early 1981 marked the formation of Inocentes by associates in Vila Carolina, São Paulo’s working-class punk district. Three participants—Clemente on bass, Callegari on guitar, and Marcelino on drums—had previously played in Condutores de Cadáver, while Mauricinho supplied vocals; the resulting sound distilled the full trajectory of Brazilian punk. Although the lineup shifted repeatedly over time, Clemente remained the sole constant, anchoring a band that proved pivotal to the local punk scene and stood as the only Brazilian rock outfit centered on a Black musician.

Their public debut occurred midway through 1981 at São Paulo’s Grito Suburbano Festival. The following April a neighborhood record outlet issued a 45 featuring several festival acts, among them Inocentes. Growing media attention to the punk surge prompted a video-production company to approach Clemente about a documentary titled after the group’s song “Garotos do Subúrbio.”

Addition of Ariel—previously of Restos de Nada and Desequilíbrio—led to their expulsion from the upscale Gallery nightclub before they appeared at the I Festival Punk de São Paulo in November 1982. Hastily captured recordings from the event yielded the album O Começo do Fim do Mundo, which contained Inocentes’ rendition of “Salvem El Salvador.” In March 1983 the band joined the I Noite Punk do Rio de Janeiro at Circo Voador. Their debut single, “Miséria e Fome,” appeared shortly thereafter; both that track and “Aprendi a Odiar” were later featured on the 1984 Weird System compilation Life Is a Joke.

Following a breakup and subsequent regrouping that brought in guitarist Ronaldo Passos along with brothers Tonhão on vocals and André Parlato on bass, further personnel changes ensued while the group maintained a steady presence at punk gatherings. A six-track mini-LP, Pânico em São Paulo, emerged on WEA in 1986. Their first full-length album, Adeus Carne, followed on the same label in 1987 and incorporated a poem by Mayakowski.

The 1988 release Inocentes adopted a straighter rock posture, after which the band issued Estilhaços in 1992, Subterrâneos on Eldorado in 1994, and Ruas on Paradoxx in 1996.