Engenheiros Do Hawaii

The Engenheiros do Hawaii were formed in 1984 in Porto Alegre, RS, by guitarist/vocalist Humberto Gessinger (born in 1962, Porto Alegre), drummer Carlos Maltz (born in 1963, Porto Alegre), and bassist Marcelo Fagundes Pitz (born in 1963, Porto Alegre). Guitarist Carlos Stein (from Nenhum de Nós) joined the band in their early performances but left soon afterwards. The band made their first performance on January 11, 1985. With a good response, they departed for precarious shows in upstate Rio Grande do Sul. The BMG label, interested in releasing a compilation of the new bands of the South, heard of a festival at the Gigantinho stadium in which the Engenheiros do Hawaii were selected to perform. Of the two songs included in the LP, "Sopa de Letrinhas" scored a hit in their region, and BMG decided to dedicate a solo album to them. Longe Demais das Capitais had the hit "Toda Forma de Poder," which was included in a TV Globo soap opera. But at that point, the newly married Pitz left the group. Gessinger took over on bass and invited guitarist Augusto Licks to the band. Their second album, A Revolta dos Dândis, came in 1987, bringing more hits: "Infinita Highway," "Terra de Gigantes," and "A Revolta dos Dândis." On July 16, 1988, the Engenheiros played in the III Festival Alternativa Nativa at the Maracanãzinho (Rio) for 20,000 people, and from then on, concerts for packed stadiums would be a common practice for them. In 1988, the Engenheiros recorded Ouça o Que eu Digo, Não Ouça Ninguém. The album introduced keyboards in the band's sonority, and had the successes "Ouça o Que eu Digo, Não Ouça Ninguém," "Somos Quem Podemos Ser," "Tribos e Tribunais," and "A Verdade a Ver Navios." At that point, the Engenheiros came to Rio de Janeiro, and in the next year performed in...