Milton Lopes

Milton Lopes came up in Itabuna, Bahia, born in 1966. The rhythms around him were samba, axé, and sertanejo, and he started singing early, drawn to voices like Roberto Carlos and Luiz Gonzaga. In the early 1990s he joined the band Axé Bahia as lead vocalist, then went solo a few years later.

His 1996 album 'Aguenta Coração' gave him a national hit with the title track. That song, along with others like 'Amante da Lua' and 'Deixa Eu Te Amar,' connected with listeners through straightforward lyrics about heartache and resilience. He kept recording through the late 1990s and 2000s, putting out albums like 'Pra Sempre Minha' in 1998 and 'Só o Amor' in 2006.

Lopes worked with other Brazilian artists including Ivete Sangalo and Gilberto Gil. His voice stayed recognizable in that mix of romantic ballads and upbeat rhythms. Songs like 'Acabou' and 'Deixa de Bobeira' kept turning up on playlists.