Established in the pop-romantic pagode idiom, Só Pra Contrariar quickly became a worldwide commercial sensation by moving three million copies of one album. The ensemble came together in 1989 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, when thirteen-year-old Alexandre Pires persuaded his brother Fernando Pires to handle drums, cousin Juliano to manage percussion, and friends Rogério on tantã, Serginho on keyboards, Hamilton on saxophone, Luiz Fernando on pandeiro, Alexandre Popó on surdo, and Luis Antônio on bass to join him in a casual project. The moniker originated from the Fundo de Quintal samba “Só Pra Contrariar.” Rehearsing regularly in modest Uberlândia bars sharpened their sound; a 1993 demo reached BMG, which signed the group that year and issued the debut album Só Pra Contrariar, anchored by the hit “Que Se Chama Amor.” Follow-up radio favorite “A Barata,” written by Alexandre Pires, helped the record reach five hundred thousand copies and propelled the band onto national radio charts, television appearances, and tours across numerous cities. Their 1994 sophomore release, also titled Só Pra Contrariar, contained “O Meu Jeito De Ser,” “Te Amar Sem Medo,” the samba “É Bom Demais,” and the standout “Essa Tal Liberdade,” by which time concerts routinely drew twenty thousand spectators. Across their first three albums the band placed fifteen tracks on Brazilian top-parade lists. The fifth album, Só Pra Contrariar (1997), featured “Depois Do Prazer,” the most-played song on Brazilian radio that year, alongside “Mineirinho,” “Minha Metade,” “Tá Por Fora,” and “Quando é Amor,” earning the group a triple-diamond certification for three million copies sold—an unprecedented mark for a Brazilian artist on a single title. In 1998 Só Pra Contrariar became the first Brazilian act to receive a World Music Award. That same year the group issued its first Spanish-language album, which moved seven hundred thousand units; “Mi Mitad” served as the theme for the Mexican telenovela Romantica Obsession on TV Azteca. The project garnered a Gardel Award in Argentina for Best Latin Pop Group, the Brazilian International Press Award in Miami for Best Touring Group in the United States, platinum status in Argentina, triple-platinum status in Uruguay, and gold certifications in Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and the United States. In 1999 the ensemble released its second Spanish album, Juegos de Amor, which included Gloria Stefan on the track “Santo Santo.” The song climbed to the Top 20 throughout multiple countries, held second place for four weeks in Spain and first place for three weeks in Argentina, and reached second position on the Billboard Latin chart, becoming the most-played Latin single in the United States. The group subsequently collected the Spanish Amigo and Ondas awards.
