Maurício Pereira and
André Abujamra (son of the late
Antônio Abujamra) met in 1984, at a lecture about
African
percussion instruments and
music (what inspired them to choose the name "Os Mulheres Negras" later on). United by their similar musical tastes and convictions, they began to write material together the following year, and perform in bars around São Paulo, usually wearing stylized, colored
overcoats and straw
bowler hats. Their unusual style caught the attention of
WEA (present-day
Warner Music Group), who offered them a contract; in 1988 they released their debut,
Música e Ciência, produced by
Pena Schmidt. Characterized by a heavily eclectic sonority which mixed numerous genres, such as
samba,
baião,
lambada,
música sertaneja,
rap music,
Muzak and the works of
The Beatles,
Heitor Villa-Lobos,
George Gershwin and
Tom Jobim, it was a commercial failure despite the good critical reception. A slightly less experimental and more accessible follow-up,
Música Serve pra Isso, came out also through WEA in 1990. Both of their albums were re-issued in
CD format by Warner Music Group in 2001. The duo went their separate ways in 1991; Abujamra formed the
world music project
Karnak in 1992, and also became a film and television composer and actor. Pereira began a prestigious solo career and formed the
side project Turbilhão de Ritmos in 2003. They continued to collaborate occasionally however; in 1995 they teamed up to write and perform songs for the soundtrack of the popular children's program
Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum. In 2002, they recorded the song "Mestre Jonas" for the soundtrack of the film
Durval Discos, in which Abujamra cameos as Fat Marley. In 2012, the duo officially returned to active, and in 2015 they realized a special tour to celebrate their 30th anniversary. In 2013, Sandro Serpa and Bel Bechara directed a critically acclaimed
documentary film about the duo, entitled ''Música É para Isso: Uma História d'Os Mulheres Negras''. ==Discography==