Alexandre Pires

by Drago Bonacich
Brazilian Alexandre Pires (born Alexandre Pires do Nascimento) started his professional career in the late '80s when he joined a local band called Só Pra Contrariar. The group made a self-titled debut album, released in 1993, and they became a top-selling act in 1997 while climbing charts with "Depois do Prazer" and "Mineirinho." In 1999, Só Pra Contrariar made a successful album in Spanish called Juegos de Amor -- which featured the song "Santo Santo," recorded along with Gloria Estefan -- and achieved an Ondas award that same year. In 2001, Alexandre Pires' first solo album was released in the U.S. and Latin America simultaneously.