Clayton & Cristiano

Clayton & Cristiano started as Cláudio de Souza Rosa and Cristiano Queiroz de Oliveira in Mato Grosso do Sul in 1992. Their first album, 'Ao Vivo,' came out in 1994 and got them noticed across Brazil. They worked in sertanejo, a Brazilian country style, but didn't stick strictly to tradition.

Songs like 'Dia Sem Sol, Noite Sem Lua' and 'A Gente Briga' became hits. Their sound had some pop and rock touches, with harmonies that felt more layered than what you'd usually hear in sertanejo at the time. They didn't invent a new genre, but they found a way to make the familiar feel a little different.

In 2002, they got into a legal fight over song rights. It was messy and could have stopped them, but they kept going. There were also personal issues that played out publicly, like Clayton's marriage ending. The music kept coming through all of it.