Prettos

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Also known as

Magnu Sousá e Maurílio de Oliveira, Quinteto em Branco e Preto

Years Active

2014

Genres

samba, pagode, MPB

Instruments

percussion, vocals, acoustic guitar, cavaquinho

Biography

Prettos is a renowned samba duo from São Paulo, formed in 2014 by brothers Magnu Sousá and Maurílio de Oliveira. The duo's career is marked by a deep musical heritage, as they are the sons of musicians Xique-Xique and Tonia Xique. Before making the duo official, the brothers spent eighteen years as members of the group Quinteto em Branco e Preto, one of the pillars of the samba renewal in São Paulo, with which they won the 24th Brazilian Music Award. Over a career spanning more than three decades, they have established themselves as respected instrumentalists, arrangers, and composers, with their works recorded by icons such as Alcione and Maria Rita.

The rise of Prettos is closely linked to their association with Beth Carvalho, who mentored them and took them to international stages, such as the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. In addition to performing, the brothers play a fundamental role in preserving the memory of São Paulo samba; they founded the Comunidade Samba da Vela in 2000, a cultural resistance movement that became intangible heritage. This facet as curators and producers has also manifested in the musical direction of projects by artists such as Jair Rodrigues and Emicida, reaffirming the duo's versatility between tradition and modernity.

In 2018, the brothers conceived "Quintal dos Prettos", a project that revives the atmosphere of acoustic samba circles from the 1980s, without electronic amplification, drawing crowds in São Paulo. The project, which has hosted guests such as Péricles and Gloria Groove, has become a hit with both audiences and critics, resulting in successful audiovisual recordings. Recently, the duo has dedicated themselves to honoring great masters, as seen in the album "Um Brinde ao Mestre Cartola", keeping the flame of classic samba alive while engaging with new generations of rap and contemporary pagode.

Discography

• Prettos no Estúdio Showlivre (Ao Vivo) (2018)
• Novo Viver (2020)
• Quintal dos Prettos (Ao Vivo) (2021)
• Prettos no Pagode (2023)
• Axé (2023)
• Um Brinde ao Mestre Cartola 74 (2024)
• O Show Deve Continuar (2025)
• Essência da Origem