About
Also known as: Osvaldo Lenine Macedo Pimentel
Seven Latin Grammys across sixteen years tells you a lot about where Lenine sits in Brazilian music. Born in Recife and working under his full name Osvaldo Lenine Macedo Pimentel, he blends northeastern Brazilian rhythms with electronica and samba in a way that feels utterly his own. His 1997 solo debut O Dia em que Faremos Contato set the tone, and 2001's Falange Canibal pulled in US rock group Living Color for a collaboration that caught international ears. Beyond his own records, Lenine has written more than 500 songs for other artists, including Maria Bethânia, Milton Nascimento and Daniela Mercury. One of his best known compositions, Relampiano, tells the story of a favela kid selling candy at traffic lights and was sparked by a real encounter with a street vendor in Rio. His 2015 album Carbono picked up Latin Grammy nominations, and his live album Em Trânsito landed in Rolling Stone Brazil's list of the best Brazilian albums of 2018.
