Milionário e José Rico

Milionário (Romeu Januário de Matos) and José Rico (José Rico dos Santos) started playing music together in Aparecida do Taboado, a small town in Mato Grosso do Sul. They worked local bars and rodeos for a while before their first album, 'Vou Chegar aos Cem,' came out in 1978 and found an audience. The title track about stubborn determination seemed to connect with people, and it helped them get noticed beyond their region.

Their music was straightforward sertanejo with pop touches, and they wrote about love and life in plain terms. Some critics thought their ballads were too sentimental, but they kept making records anyway. Songs like 'Decida' and 'Estrada da Vida' became fixtures on Brazilian radio, and 'Decida' in particular stayed with listeners as one of their most requested tracks.

Milionário had a public persona that sometimes drew attention away from the music. In 2014, he was arrested on drug charges, which created some difficult press for the duo. They apologized and kept performing, and their fans generally stuck with them through it. They were still playing shows together years later, with songs like 'A Carta' and 'O Último Julgamento' remaining in their setlists.