Vital Lima

Vital Lima formed the band Pastores da Noite in Rio de Janeiro during the 1980s. Their 1986 debut album, also called Pastores da Noite, became a commercial success in Brazil.

Lima's lyrics often dealt with social themes, though this sometimes drew criticism from those who felt his portrayals of life in Rio's poorer neighborhoods were too raw. He defended this as simply reflecting what he saw around him. Other songs like Amor de Lua and Círios showed a different, more personal side to his writing.

After that initial breakthrough, Pastores da Noite continued releasing albums through the late 80s and into the 90s. The music shifted somewhat from the stark sound of their debut toward more melodic territory, as heard on tracks like Das coisas simples da vida and A seu jeito.