After eight years fronting Brazilian supergroup
Soweto, vocalist
Belo set forth to establish himself in the recording industry as a solo artist. Having sold better than three million units with
Soweto,
Belo was already considered the samba voice of his generation before launching a solo career, a hard-earned reputation that would only gain credibility. His solo premiere, Desafio (EMI), was a smash success, going double platinum within a year of its release. Belo ao Vivo, a live record released in October of 2001, was a strong follow-up, selling more than 270,000 units.
Belo consistently drew on musicians who had contributed to
Soweto's success. Producer
Prateado along with arrangers and instrumentalists such as
Jota Moraes, Paulinho Calazans, and Carlinhos Gonzalez were regular collaborators from
Belo's early days straight through to his third and fourth original releases, Valeu Esperar and
Romance Rosa. In 2006
Belo released Procura -- Se Um Amor, a collection of his solo works. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez