Leif Erickson Lico

Years Active

1960

Genres

psychedelic rock, rock

Biography

Leif Erickson Lico was the founder and leader of the musical group Os Leif's, a precursor band considered the true embryo of the legendary group Novos Baianos. Born Erickson Leoni da Costa Nunes, in the 1960s he led a psychedelic rock group that stood out in Bahia for its energetic sound and the technical virtuosity of its members, featuring musicians such as Pepeu Gomes, Carlinhos Gomes, and Jorginho Gomes.

The band's projection on the Bahian scene caught the attention of Tropicália icons like Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, who invited them to act as the backing band for the emblematic show Barra 69, held in Salvador shortly before the duo's exile during the military dictatorship. This historical record remains one of the rare sonic testimonies of the musical power led by Leif Erickson Lico during that troubled time in Brazilian history.

In 1970, the group recorded the single Fobus In Totum / Nem Sei De Mim for the Beverly label, although the material was distributed exclusively to radio stations and commercially rebranded under the name Os da Bahia to capitalize on the tropicalist success, generating friction with the musicians. The historical relevance of Leif Erickson Lico and his band was rescued decades later, consolidating their fundamental role in the genesis of psychedelic rock and modern MPB in Bahia, alongside artists like Gal Costa and Tim Maia.