It was formed in 1978 by Maurício Maestro (bass/vocals), Zé Renato (violão/vocals), Cláudio Nucci (violão/vocals), and David Tygel (violão/vocals). Their first album, Boca Livre (1979), was a best-selling album produced and released independently until then in Brazil. In 1993 the group appeared in Jon Anderson's Deseo. Their CD Dançando Pelas Sombras (1992) was released in the U.S. (Xenophile), earning praise from the specialized press. In 1993, Fernando Gama substituted Nucci, and in 1995 Tygel was replaced by Lourenço Baeta. The first CD released with that formation, the live recorded Songboca (Velas) was awarded with a Sharp prize. The group has changed its formation since then, with Zé Renato being replaced by Nucci in 2000, and their members keep their solo careers in parallel. The Boca Livre albums are Bicicleta (1980), Folia (1981), Boca Livre (1983), Em Concerto (1989), Dançando Pelas Sombras (1992), Songboca (1994), Americana (1996), Boca Livre 20 Anos (1997), and Boca Livre e 14 Bis ao Vivo (2000). Among their hits are "Mistérios" (Joyce/Maurício Maestro), "Anima" (Zé Renato/Milton Nascimento), "Toada" (Zé Renato/Claudio Nucci/Juca), "Quem Tem a Viola" (Juca/Zé Renato/Xico Chaves/Claudio Nucci), the re-recording of "Panis et Cirsensis" (Gilberto Gil/Caetano Veloso), "Ponta de Areia" (Milton Nascimento/Fernando Brant), and "I Need You" (George Harrison), among others. ~ Alvaro Neder