Banda Cheiro de Amor

Origin

Salvador, BA

Years active

1982–presente

Genres

axé, mpb, pop

Instruments

vocal, guitarra, percussão, bateria

Biography

Banda Cheiro de Amor is one of the biggest names in axé music and the Bahia carnival, accumulating millions of records sold throughout its career. Founded in 1982 under the name Pimenta de Cheiro by vocalist Laurinha Arantes and musicians such as Heládio Torinho, the band made history by putting a woman at the front of a trio elétrico block in Salvador for the first time. Over the decades, the group has gone through several line-ups and consolidated its national importance under the command of different striking voices.

In 1986, with the arrival of Márcia Freire on vocals, the band definitively changed its name to Cheiro de Amor and emerged on charts all over Brazil with unforgettable hits like "Auê" and "Rebentão". Later, in the 1990s, Carla Visi took over the position and led the group to its commercial peak with songs like "Vai Sacudir Vai Abalar" and "Quixabeira". Starting in 2003, Alinne Rosa took over the leadership, bringing a modernized sound to axé and charting hits like "Amassadinho" and "Dias de Sol". The band also featured stints by Vina Calmon and, more recently, Raquel Tombesi.

The trajectory of Cheiro de Amor intersects with that of several other exponents of Bahian music and axé, sharing stages, carnivals, and hit parades with names like Daniela Mercury, Ivete Sangalo, Asa de Águia, Banda Eva, and Olodum. Over more than forty years on the road, the group has remained one of the most enduring and beloved institutions of the Salvador carnival and Brazilian popular culture.