Kleiton & Kledir

Hailing from Brazil’s southern region, the brothers Kleiton e Kledir earned nationwide recognition while remaining based in their hometown—an uncommon feat in a nation long dominated by Rio de Janeiro RJ and São Paulo SP, with Recife BA later emerging as another hub. Their music fuses rural roots with city influences, and after three decades of partnership they can point to multiple national successes. The pair first performed together in Almôndegas, the band they formed in 1972. That group quickly gained traction through live appearances and television spots; after issuing its debut LP in 1975 and placing “Canção da Meia-noite” on the soundtrack of the telenovela Saramandaia, Almôndegas disbanded toward the end of the 1970s. Kleiton e Kledir themselves scored a triumph at the final TV Tupi festival with “Maria Fumaça,” then released their own first album, Kleiton e Kledir, in 1980. The follow-up disc, issued the next year, yielded another hit, “Deu Pra Ti.” Subsequent successes for the duo included “Vira Virou,” “Fonte da Saudade,” and additional tracks. In 1989 the brothers briefly pursued individual paths, yet they reunited in 1996 and soon afterward issued Dois (1997), which was followed by Clássicos do Sul (1999).