Formed in 1990, Sandy & Junior began by singing children's songs and sertanejo-influenced tracks (their first single, "Maria Chiquinha", is a classic sertanejo song). Once they reached adolescence, they changed their style to pop-influenced songs, mainly ballads and upbeat songs. The style-change was around the mid 1990s. Their albums Era Uma Vez... Ao Vivo (1998), As Quatro Estações (1999), Quatro Estações: O Show (2000) and Sandy & Junior (2001) sold more than a million units and were certified multi-platinum or diamond in Brazil.
They had a self-titled weekly television series between 1999 and 2003 on Rede Globo and released the movie Acquaria in 2003; Sandy also starred the soap opera Estrela Guia (Globo) in 2001. Earlier, they had appeared in Renato Aragão movie O Noviço Rebelde, in 1997. Both have experienced solo work: Junior was the drummer of alternative rock band Nove Mil Anjos (which also features former Charlie Brown Jr. member Champignon on bass guitar), and part of an EDM duo called Manimal. Sandy, on the other hand, has a solid solo carreer.
In 2002, they were the first national artists to do a paid concert at Maracanã stadium in Rio.
The duo announced on 17 April 2007 that an MTV Unplugged album to be recorded in May 2007 would be their final work together, through a video posted on their website addressed to their fans and in a press conference, stating also that their career as a duo would be over at the end of 2007.
Their 17 years of career has granted them partnerships with several national and international artists, such as Xuxa, Roberto Carlos, Milton Nascimento, Toquinho, Gilberto Gil, Ivete Sangalo, Andrea Bocelli and Enrique Iglesias, and more than 20 million albums sold around the globe, making them the ninth best selling Brazilian artists of all time.
In March 2019, after a 12-year hiatus, the duo announced a new tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their first performance together, Nossa História Tour. Starting in July 2019, the siblings commemorated their successful career with their greatest hits in a tour through the largest cities in Brazil.
O vira-lata
Sandy e Junior Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Por uma cachorrinha genial
Só que ela é da vizinha
Que é burguesa e não queria
Pois Totó só sabia roer ossos no quintal
Bem que a vovó dizia
Que quando dois se gostam
Totó e Marilyn fugiram
Voltando só depois de se casar
Aí nasceu um lindo cachorrinho
E a vizinha não cabia em si
Com o corpinho da mãe
E o focinho do pai
Só que jamais terá pedigree
Com o corpinho da mãe
E o focinho do pai
Só que jamais terá pedigree
Nosso vira-lata um dia se apaixonou
Por uma cachorrinha genial
Só que ela é da vizinha
Que é burguesa e não queria
Pois Totó só sabia roer ossos no quintal
Bem que a vovó dizia
Que quando dois se gostam
Não se pode segurar
Totó e Marilyn fugiram
Voltando só depois de se casar
Aí nasceu um lindo cachorrinho
E a vizinha não cabia em si
Com o corpinho da mãe
E o focinho do pai
Só que jamais terá pedigree
Com o corpinho da mãe
E o focinho do pai
Só que jamais terá pedigree
Só que jamais terá pedigree
Só que jamais terá pedigree
The lyrics of Sandy e Junior’s “O vira-lata” tell the story of a mixed-breed dog named Totó who falls in love with a purebred dog named Marilyn who belongs to a wealthy neighbor. Marilyn's owner turns down Totó because of his lowly status and inability to behave in a refined manner, as symbolized by his tendency to chew bones in the backyard. However, Totó and Marilyn are undeterred and run away together to get married. Later, they have a puppy with the physical traits of both parents, but the puppy will never have a pedigree due to its mixed-breed status.
The song conveys an overarching theme of love triumphing over societal status and expectations. Totó and Marilyn defy the norms of their respective dog communities, as well as the expectations of Marilyn's affluent owner, in order to be together. The conflict between Totó and Marilyn's differences in economic and social status parallels the barriers and prejudice humans experience in relationships with others from different backgrounds. The song's lyrics suggest that true love can overcome external circumstances, and that unconditional love and acceptance can exist despite social and economic differences.
Overall, “O vira-lata” is a playful and catchy song that underscores the universal theme of love as a powerful unifier between beings, both human and non-human.
Line by Line Meaning
Nosso vira-lata um dia se apaixonou
A stray dog fell in love one day
Por uma cachorrinha genial
With a genius female dog
Só que ela é da vizinha
But she belonged to the neighbor
Que é burguesa e não queria
Who was bourgeois and didn't want it
Pois Totó só sabia roer ossos no quintal
Because Totó only knew how to chew bones in the yard
Bem que a vovó dizia
Grandma used to say
Que quando dois se gostam
That when two love each other
Não se pode segurar
It can't be controlled
Totó e Marilyn fugiram
Totó and Marilyn ran away
Voltando só depois de se casar
Only returning after getting married
Aí nasceu um lindo cachorrinho
Then a beautiful puppy was born
E a vizinha não cabia em si
And the neighbor couldn't contain herself
Com o corpinho da mãe
With the body of the mother
E o focinho do pai
And the nose of the father
Só que jamais terá pedigree
But it will never have pedigree
Com o corpinho da mãe
With the body of the mother
E o focinho do pai
And the nose of the father
Só que jamais terá pedigree
But it will never have pedigree
Só que jamais terá pedigree
But it will never have pedigree
Writer(s): Sapo, Xororo
Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.