Formed in the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1993, O Rappa is one of the most representative groups in the Brazilian pop/rock scene. The band was born from the union of several musicians who had performed in different bands, plus the entry of vocalist Falcão, in response to an advertisement placed in the newspaper by the band.
At the beginning of their career, the band featured Falcão (vocals), Marcelo Yuka (drums), Xandão (guitar), Nelson Meireles (bass) and Marcelo Lobato (keyboard). If at the beginning it was a typical reggae band, as demonstrated by their first CD, simply entitled O Rappa, over time the group's music acquired a sound that mixed reggae with rock, rap, and elements of modern pop music.
The second album,O Rappa-Mundi, made O Rappa popular with hits such as "Hey Joe" (the version for the song also recorded by Jimi Hendrix), "A Feira" and "Vapor Barato". Lado B Lado A, third album, considered one of the best releases of 1999, consecrated the band with their songs of intense social concern and well-elaborated lyrics. Highlight for the tracks Minha Alma (A Paz Que Eu Não Quero)" and "O que Sobrou Do Céu". A record with a strong repertoire that put the band ahead of brazilian rock. In late 2000, violence shook the band. Lyricist-drummer Marcelo Yuka was shot when he witnessed a robbery in the neighborhood of Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro. The musician became paraplegic, unable to play drums. Marcelo Lobato took over the drums (he had played drums before with África Gumbé), and his brother Marcos Lobato joined the band taking over the keyboards. Later, Yuka returned to the group, but disagreements between him and the other members made him abandon O Rappa and found the group O F.ur.t.o..
The album O Silêncio Q Precede O Esporro, released in 2003, was the first studio album without Yuka. In the sequence, the band released Acústico MTV (2005) and 7 Vezes (2008), the fifth studio album. In 2013, Rappa released a new album, entitled Nunca Tem Fim..., which had the songs "Anjos (Pra Quem Tem Fé)" and "Auto-Reverse" as highlights. In 2018, the band went on hiatus with no expected return. In January 2019, Marcelo Yuka died at the age of 53.
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