É o Tchan!

É o Tchan! is a popular pagode band from Salvador, Bahia, Brasil that started in 1992.

History

Originally called Gera Samba, they exploded onto the scene with their hit single 'Segura o Tchan'. Their first album, called É o Tchan (1995), sold triple platinum.

After legal problems, the name of the band changed from Gera Samba to É o Tchan and with this name, they released the album 'Na Cabeça e na Cintura' [In the Head and In the Waist] .

The group became popular because of the combination of catchy music and pointless lyrics, with choreography performed by two dancers, a blonde ("loira do Tchan") and a brunette ("morena do Tchan"). Both became big stars and did Playboy covers, with the Carla Perez cover being the bestselling until 1999, when the Tiazinha and Feiticeira issues outsold her. The brunette dancer, Scheila, was also a big star. Both dancers wore little tops and bootie shorts. The male dancer was, and still is, Afro-Brazilian Edson Gomes Cardoso Santos aka Jacaré.

Carla Perez was very popular among kids and teenagers, and so was the group. Many licensed products were released under her image, such as costumes, sticker albums and bootie shorts. There was controversy when the highly eroticized lyrics and choreography became popular among children and children's dancing contests. The televised popularity of É o Tchan sparked a new cultural backlash.

Their 1996 album was the best-selling of the year, selling over 2 million copies in Brazil, and in 1997 they released another huge hit, the album 'É o Tchan do Brasil'. The album sold, again, over 2 million copies and was the best-selling of the year. It was released after the brunette dancer left the group and an audition took place on the highest-rated Sunday show in Brazil, O Domingão do Faustão. Soon after the release, Carla Perez decided to leave the group and start a solo career, and again another audition took place on Domingão do Faustão. The first prize was, aside from becoming a member of the group, the cover of a Playboy Magazine.

Their fourth album, third as É o Tchan, was not as much of a success as the first two, but sold really well, receiving a diamond certification. The CD, after É o Tchan do Brasil [It's Tchan from Brasil] , was called É o Tchan no Havai [It's Tchan in Hawaii] . Their next album also received diamond certification, É o Tchan na Selva [It's Tchan in the Jungle] and that was their last album to receive diamond certification. After that, the downfall of the group was immnent, with most of the members leaving for other groups or musical styles.

The lineup has changed three times since then and they have released two other albums and a compilation, in 2000, 2001 and 2003, respectively. The group released, in 2005, a 10 Year Celebrative DVD which was certified triple platinum. "Morenas" and "loiras" of the group maintain the tradition of posing nude for men's magazines but, after their peak, less popular "Revista Sexy" has replaced "Playboy" in their preferences: Silmara Miranda (October 2003), Scheila Carvalho (October 2005), Aline Rosado & Juliane Almeida (February 2006).

Members

:Original Lineup::Compadre washington, vocals::Beto Jamaica, vocals::Jacaré, male dancer::Carla Perez, "loira"::Débora Brasil, "morena"

:Lineup by year 2000::Compadre washington, vocals::Beto Jamaica, vocals::Jacaré, male dancer::Sheila Mello, "loira"::Scheila Carvalho, "morena"

:Lineup by year 2005::Renatinho da Bahia, vocals::Tony Salles, vocals::Jacaré, male dancer::Silmara Miranda, "loira"::Scheila Carvalho, "morena"

:"Morenas" who replaced Scheila Carvalho::Aline Rosado::Juliane Almeida