Part of a new wave of Brazilian rock groups that emerged in the 1980s, Ultraje a Rigor cranked out scuzzy riffs, goofball comedy and infectious pop hooks, and later became major stars as MTV came to the country for the first time in the 1990s. Front man Roger Moreira started the band in Sao Paulo in 1980, and they played covers of songs by The Beatles, The Who and various punk classics in their early days before Moreira began improvising with lyrics.
Claiming to be influenced as much by The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin as they were by American cartoons like The Flintstones and Woody Woodpecker, Moreira was joined in a settled line-up by guitarist Carlinhos, bassist Mauricio Defendi and drummer Leospa and they landed a deal with WEA for debut album 'Nos Vamos Invadir sur Praia' in 1985. Their blasting, good-time, gonzo rock & roll continued on follow-ups 'Sexo' and 'Crescendo', and they led a generation of Latin-rock bands who reached a young mainstream audience and notched up platinum-status record sales. By their 1990s album 'Por Que Ultraje a Rigor', Moreira was leading a new line-up with Flavio Suete on drums, Serginho on bass and Heraldo Paarman on guitar, and their single 'Acontence Toda Vez que eu Fico Apaixonado' grew into a fan favourite which was heavily played on MTV.
Their greatest hits compilation 'O Mundo Encanto do Ultraje a Rigor' and the live record '18 Anos sem Tirar!' were other big selling landmarks for the group and they celebrated their 30th anniversary by teaming up with fellow Brazilian rockers Ira! for a tour and with punk agitators the Raimundos for the joint album 'O Embate do Seculo'. Remaining one of Brazil's most popular rock bands, they opened for The Rolling Stones at Maracana Stadium in 2016 and released the career spanning documentary 'Ultraje' with director Marc Dourdin in 2018.
