Since the 1970s Lulu Santos has earned lasting recognition as a leading figure in Brazilian rock while amassing impressive sales across a lengthy catalog. He composed music for cinema, contributed articles to music publications, and served as producer for Titãs on Televisão and for Premeditando o Breque on O Melhor dos Iguais.
Captivated by the Beatles, Santos assembled his first band at twelve to perform their songs. At nineteen he began performing with Veludo Elétrico, thereby launching his professional career. In 1974 he joined Vímana, a band central to the development of Brazilian rock. After being dismissed from the group following disputes with Patrick Moraz, Santos found himself without housing because Vímana followed the communal living arrangements typical of 1970s counterculture. At that moment he connected with Antônio Pedro Fortuna, a former Os Mutantes bassist and close associate. Together with percussionist Reginaldo Francisco and drummer Hélber Baldaque, the pair formed the brief-lived light pop/rock outfit Unziotros in 1978. Santos next created the soundtrack for Neville de Almeida’s film Os Sete Gatinhos, drawn from the writings of the essential Brazilian author Nelson Rodrigues. Under his birth name Luís Maurício he issued the single Gosto de Batom (Bernardo Vilhena/Pedro Fortuna) through Polygram.
Marriage to journalist Scarlet Moon de Chevalier granted him entry to a secondary vocation writing for SomTrês magazine, while Santos simultaneously took on production duties for Rede Globo soap-opera and series soundtracks. The December 8, 1980 murder of John Lennon prompted the composition “Tesouros da Juventude” (lyrics by Nelson Motta). After recording a demo with drummer Jim Capaldi, formerly of Traffic, Santos forwarded the material to Warner artistic director Léo Neto, a mutual contact of Motta. In 1981, now recording for Warner under the pseudonym Lulu Santos and with essential assistance from hitmaker and producer Liminha, he achieved notable commercial results with the singles “Tesouros da Juventude,” “Areias Escaldantes,” and “De Leve,” the latter a version of Rita Lee’s rendition of Lennon/McCartney’s “Get Back.” Television exposure followed, bolstered by appearances on programs presented by the irreverent and widely popular Chacrinha. That same year Santos performed “Areias Escaldantes” at the MPB-Shell 81 festival without distinction. The next year saw the release of his debut solo LP Tempos Modernos, which contained the three earlier singles plus “De Repente Califórnia,” the theme for the film Menino do Rio, along with “Tudo com Você,” “Palestina,” and “Scarlet Moon.” These tracks helped drive respectable sales of 56,000 copies.
The follow-up album deliberately targeted broad appeal through serene pop ballads such as “Como uma Onda no Mar” and melodic numbers like “Adivinha o Quê” and “Um Certo Alguém,” all adhering to a straightforward approach that marketed an idealized beach lifestyle to inland Brazilian audiences and ultimately sold 90,000 copies. Tudo Azul (1984) maintained solid performance via the title track, “O Último Romântico,” and “Certas Coisas.” In 1985 Santos appeared at the landmark Rock in Rio festival, which drew up to 250,000 spectators each of its five nights, sharing bills with Rod Stewart and Queen. Yet commercial triumph carried consequences; during a period of inflated self-regard Santos parted ways with Liminha and self-produced Normal, an effort that sold poorly and resulted in his exit from Warner.
Signing with RCA/Ariola, he revived his proven pop/rock approach on Lulu (1986), which moved 200,000 copies. Two tracks appeared on soap-opera soundtracks: “Condição” for Corpo Santo on TV Manchete and “Um pro Outro” for Brega e Chique on TV Globo. Sold-out concerts across Brazil became routine, including a performance at the Maracanãzinho sports arena. In 1987 Warner issued the compilation O Último Romântico, which sold 400,000 copies. That year the LP Lulu received a platinum certification. During the presentation ceremony at a packed Maracanãzinho, Santos declined the award because the album had not attained the 250,000-unit threshold required for the category, thereby highlighting longstanding disputes between artists and labels over opaque accounting practices. Toda Forma de Amor (1988) featured the hit “A Cura,” the most-played track on Brazilian FM stations at the time, while also exploring MPB territory on selections such as “Cobra Criada” and “Ton Ton.” The accompanying tour visited 29 Brazilian cities plus Montreux, Switzerland, attracting 450,000 spectators and yielding the live recording Amor à Arte, captured at the Olympia in São Paulo in August 1988. At that year’s inaugural Hollywood Rock festival Santos shared the bill with Supertramp.
On Popsambalanço (1989) Santos became the first artist to revive the long-overlooked legacy of the monumental Jorge Ben (later Jorge Ben Jor), yet critics responded with indifference or outright dismissal and the album sold only 70,000 copies. Honolulu (1990) returned to accessible hits such as “Papo Cabeça” and was launched at an open-air concert in Rio’s Praça da Apoteose, where Santos opened for Eric Clapton. During the 1990s Santos issued three dance-oriented albums in collaboration with DJ Memê: Assim Caminha a Humanidade, Eu e Memê, Memê e Eu (his strongest seller to date), and Anticiclone Musical. Liga Lá (1997) enlisted the esteemed Tropicalia conductor and arranger Rogério Duprat together with Ritchie, an associate from Vímana days. The accessible Calendário (BMG, 1999) renewed the fruitful partnership with Liminha and the familiar beach-pop formula.
