Os Tápes

Eight young men from Tapes, a city in Rio Grande do Sul around 100 km from Porto Alegre, formed the group in 1971, when they were between 18 and 20 years old. Teachers and public employees, they used their salaries to pay for the renovation of the city's theater, where they played flutes, violas, and instruments made from bamboo and taquara, seeking a connection with Quechua and Guarani music. They rejected commercial offers until producer Marcus Pereira heard them during a research trip through the South. Canto da Gente was released on his label in 1975. That same year, they performed "Cheraçar Y Apacuy" at the IV Califórnia da Canção Nativa.