Xande de Pilares

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years Active

1990

Genres

samba, pagode

Instruments

voice, cavaco

Biography

Xande de Pilares, stage name of Alexandre Silva de Assis, was born in Rio de Janeiro on December 25, 1969. Raised in various communities in Rio, such as Morro do Salgueiro and the neighborhood of Pilares which he adopted in his stage name, he began his musical journey in the early 1990s at Pagode da Tia Gessy. In 1994, he founded Grupo Revelação, a pagode band with which he achieved great national prominence over two decades, recording several successful albums and DVDs.

After leaving Grupo Revelação in 2014, Xande de Pilares pursued a solo career and released his first album, Perseverança, featuring partnerships with renowned songwriters like Arlindo Cruz and Serginho Meriti. In the following years, he consolidated his career with new records, hit singles, and the acclaimed album Xande canta Caetano, dedicated to the work of Caetano Veloso. In addition to being a singer and songwriter, he also worked as an actor in film productions and in the telenovela Todas as Flores.

Throughout his career, he has built a strong connection with Rio's Carnival, writing several award-winning samba-enredo for samba schools such as Salgueiro and Unidos de Padre Miguel. His contribution to samba and pagode establishes him as one of the great contemporary names of the genre, engaging with the tradition of exponents of our music like Neguinho da Beija-Flor.

Discography

• Perseverança (2014)
• MANIA AO VIVO (2015)
• Esse Menino Sou Eu (2017)
• Nos Braços do Povo (Ao Vivo / Vol.1) (2020)
• Nos Braços do Povo (Ao Vivo / Vol.2) (2020)
• Pagode da Tia Gessy - Que Samba Bom (Ao Vivo) (2022)
• Xande Canta Caetano (2023)
• Esse Menino Sou Eu: Bloco Minha Família (Ao Vivo) (2023)
• Esse Menino Sou Eu: Bloco Amor e Samba (Ao Vivo) (2023)
• Esse Menino Sou Eu: Bloco Alô Bateria! (Ao Vivo) (2023)
• Neguinho da Beija-Flor, Xande de Pilares – Empretecendo (2025)