Alessandro To Bakana

Alessandro To Bakana started as a group of friends from the Morro do Chapadão favela in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1990s, originally calling themselves Bonde do Chapadão. They came together around funk carioca, rap, and samba, playing in their neighborhood before things shifted in 2005. That year they put out 'Agora Eu Fiquei Doce,' a single that caught on quickly and pushed them into wider recognition across Brazil.

The band's lineup settled with MC Baiano, MC Catra, and MC Vitão on vocals, backed by DJ Guinha and DJ Tonzão on turntables. They kept recording through the 2000s, putting out albums like 'Ao Vivo no Morro do Chapadão' in 2006 and 'Valeu, Valeu' in 2008. Other tracks like 'Buquê de Flores' and 'Gatinha Assanhada' became part of their set, sticking with the funk carioca sound that first connected.