Born in Rio’s Grajaú neighborhood in 1997, Sorriso Maroto—comprised of Bruno Cardoso (vocals), Cris Oliveira (pandeiro), Sérgio Jr. (guitar), Vinícius Augusto (keyboard), and Fred Araújo (surdo)—rose to prominence with romantic pagode anthems like “Futuro Prometido,” “É Diferente,” and “Ainda Gosto de Você,” which helped define early‑2000s Brazilian samba‑pop. Their first live album, Por Você Ao Vivo (2005), and studio work in É Diferente (2006) and Riscos e Certezas (2013) solidified their fan base, culminating in expanded lineups and adventurous live projects like De Volta Pro Amanhã (2016) and its subsequent live version (2017). In 2021, they celebrated two decades with Sorriso Eu Gosto No Pagode—live volumes 1 and 2—featuring collaborations with Ferrugem, Ludmilla, Dilsinho, Belo, Gloria Groove, Péricles, Mumuzinho, and others that reinvigorated their career. Their momentum continued with Sorriso Eu Gosto No Pagode Vol. 2 (December 2024) recorded at Niterói’s Caminho Niemeyer, followed swiftly by Vol. 3 (May 2025), a reverent homage to Fundo de Quintal at Abbey Road Studios in London. In 2025 they’ve also released acoustic live singles—“Fera no Cio,” “Meu Oceano,” and “80 Anos”—and headlined Brazil’s Capital do Samba alongside arena dates like Anhembi Sambadrome, while receiving a Multishow Music Award nomination for Samba/Pagode of the Year.
