Leandro e Leonardo were a Brazilian '' sertanejo'' duo. The two brothers (third and fourth of eight siblings), Leandro (born Luiz José da Costa, August 15, 1961–June 23, 1998) and Leonardo (Emival Eterno da Costa, born July 25, 1963), were from Goianápolis.

History

The brothers were raised in a poor family in Brazil, and from a young age worked with their parents on tomato farms and did odd jobs such as shining shoes. Emival convinced his brother to move to the city, and the two practiced performing songs by

Chitãozinho & Xororó Chitãozinho & Xororó () are a Brazilian sertanejo duo. Chitãozinho is the stage name of José Lima Sobrinho and Xororó of Durval de Lima. Their music, which combines traditional Brazilian ''caipira'' with pop, was instrumental in establishing ...

, Roberto Carlos and The Beatles with Emival typically singing lead as Luiz sang harmonies and accompanied them on the guitar, then began playing locally in a group called ''Os Dominantes''. After moving to Brasília, where they lived with their uncle Zé, who arranged work for Luiz as a salesman at a clothing store and for Emival at a pharmacy, while also booking gigs for them. When they began performing regularly as a duo it was as Leandro & Leonardo, the stage names being those also given to the twin boys recently born to the pharmacist Emival was working for. After a few years of local and regional performances, they were offered spots on local television stations, and their first album came out in 1983. However, it wasn't until 1989 that they began to hit big on the Brazilian charts, with their ''Vol. 3'' release. The group became superstars in the early 1990s, selling several million copies of their albums and obtaining a weekly show on Brazilian television. Music by Leandro and Leonardo sold 35 million records. The album ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 4'' sold 3.3 million records and is the best-selling Brazilian country music album of all time.

Death of Leandro

After originally seeking treatment for back pain, Leandro was diagnosed with an Askin's tumor, a locally aggressive cancer occurring mostly in adolescents, on April 19, 1998 that had formed on the right side of his chest wall and already grown to the size of an orange. He died 65 days later of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome while undergoing chemotherapy at the Hospital São Luiz in São Paulo on June 23, following two unsuccessful surgeries to resect the tumor and restrict blood flow to it. At the time of his death the cancer was reported to be

congenital A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

, but ongoing research instead points to a carcinogenic pesticide he was exposed to while working at a tomato farm in his youth, later aggravated by heavy tobacco smoking, as the most likely cause. Leonardo continues to record as a solo artist.

Personal lives

Luiz was married twice, the first ending in divorce and the second (to former model Andréa Motta, mother to the youngest two of his three children) in separation shortly before his cancer was discovered. Leonardo's son is a well-known

sertanejo universitário Música sertaneja () or sertanejo () is a music style that had its origins in the countryside of Brazil in the 1920s.

singer under the name Zé Felipe.

Discography

Albums

* 1983: ''Leandro & Leonardo'' * 1986: ''Explosão de Desejos'' * 1987: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 2'' * 1989: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 3'' * 1990: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 4'' * 1991: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 5'' * 1992: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 6'' * 1993: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 7'' * 1994: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 8'' * 1995: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 9'' * 1995: ''Temporal de Amor'' * 1996: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 10'' * 1997: ''Leandro & Leonardo Vol. 11'' * 1998: ''Um Sonhador''

Special projects

* 1995: ''Amigos'' - Som Livre * 1995: ''Leandro y Leonardo en Español'' * 1996: ''Amigos'' - Som Livre * 1996: ''Leandro y Leonardo en Español Vol.2'' * 1997: ''Amigos'' - Som Livre * 1997: ''Leandro y Leonardo Los Grandes Éxitos'' * 1998: ''Leandro & Leonardo Só Para Crianças''

References

External links

Leonardo's official website
* * * {{Authority control Brazilian musical duos Sertanejo music groups Sertanejo musicians Sibling musical duos