Thiago André Barbosa, better known as Thiaguinho, was born in 1983 in Presidente Prudente, in the countryside of São Paulo state, and grew up partly in Mato Grosso do Sul. He picked up several instruments as a kid and spent his teenage years chasing a singing career, catching his first real break through a TV Globo talent competition in 2002.
That exposure led to Exaltasamba, the pagode group he fronted from 2003 to 2012 after stepping in for departing vocalist Chrigor. He went solo in 2012 with "Ousadia & Alegria," which brought him a Latin Grammy nomination, then followed it with "Outro Dia, Outra História" and the double-platinum "Hey, Mundo!" His live specials, from "Tardezinha" to the "Infinito" series, turned pagode shows into arena-sized events, and songs like "Ponto Fraco" have racked up tens of millions of streams.