Misael Ramos

Misael Ramos came from São Pedro dos Ferros in Minas Gerais, where he grew up hearing sertanejo music from artists like Tião Carreiro and Lourival dos Santos. He moved to São Paulo in his twenties, playing small shows and writing songs before things clicked with his first album in 1980.

That album, 'O Filhote,' had a song called 'Filhinho' that connected with people across Brazil. It was a simple ballad about a father and son, and Ramos sang it plainly enough that listeners heard their own families in it. The song became his calling card, and he followed it with albums like 'O Caçador' in 1983 and 'A Vida do Viajante' in 1986.

He kept recording through the early 1990s, putting out 'Coração Sertanejo' in 1991. His other well-known track, 'Siga Em Frente,' has a similar directness, less about big statements than about ordinary feelings set to straightforward sertanejo arrangements.