Cristiano de Melo Araújo (January 24, 1986 – June 24, 2015) was a Brazilian singer-songwriter.

Cristiano Araújo
Araújo in 2014
Araújo in 2014
Background information
Birth nameCristiano de Melo Araújo
Born(1986-01-24)January 24, 1986
Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
DiedJune 24, 2015(2015-06-24) (aged 29)
Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
GenresSertanejo, arrocha
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1995–2015
LabelsSom Livre

Araújo was famous for the singles "Efeitos" (2011), "Você mudou" (2012), "Maus bocados" (2013), "Cê que sabe" and "É com ela que eu estou" (both in 2014). After his album Efeitos in 2011 and live álbum/ DVD Ao Vivo em Goiânia in 2012, he released his solo studio album Continua in 2013. In 2014, he released his third live album In The Cities – Ao Vivo em Cuiabá. With most of his latest songs not making it onto a CD due to his sudden death. Araújo was signed to the Brazilian Som Livre record label.

Career

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Beginnings

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From early childhood in Goiás, Cristiano Araújo was influenced by sertanejo. Cristiano came from a musically inclined family, containing four generations of musicians and singers. His parents João Reis and Zenaide Melo encouraged and supported him in his conquest for a musical career and bought him his first guitar at 6 years old. By age 9, he was putting on public performances and shows. At 10 years old, he was composing songs.

At age 13 he recorded his first EP and performed it during a popular Brazilian TV show, Festival do Faustão. His album was released and quickly shot up to the No. 6 spot in local "região centro oeste" (the midwest) charts. He was then offered the opportunity to include one of his songs in a popular "young talents" or "Jovens Talentos" CD, which would open chances for publicity all over the country. Again, Cristiano was still only a teenager at the time.

With sister Ana Cristina

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In the years to come, Cristiano would appear on television shows and main events. At 17, he formed a duo with his twin sister Ana Cristina. For the next 6 years six years, they would record many songs and perform together. However, they failed to achieve much commercial success and were only truly known locally.

Solo career

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In 2010, at age 24, Araujo decided to go solo. He had much bolder plans for his career. He began to have appearances and features with already, well-established sertanejo artists and duos in preparation for a live CD and DVD. In early 2011, he released a solo album Efeitos with appearances by Gusttavo Lima, Humberto & Ronaldo and by Jorge (from the famous duo Jorge & Mateus). With tons of great encouragement from Jorge (duo Jorge & Mateus), a long time friend, cristiano decided to follow up his newly founded popularity with a country wide tour. In the peak of the tour, he performed an average of 20 shows per month in front of large crowds and sold-out venues. Within a one-year (2011–12) he performed 117 shows.[1]

Due to all of the newfound attention Cristiano was receiving, he ended up being invited to the culturally popular talk show Domingão do Faustão. This opened up doors for huge popular, Brazilian appearances at places such as the Sertanejo Pop Festival 2012 held in São Paulo, followed by a live album and DVD Ao Vivo em Goiânia with collaborations from well-known acts like Bruno e Marrone, Fernando & Sorocaba, Israel & Rodolffo and João Reis amongst others. In 2013, he released his first studio album Continua.[2]

In 2014, he released his last DVD titled In The Cities, this being held in Cuiabá (Mato Grosso). With international standards, the DVD has a more than 40 tons of equipment structure, bringing the very latest in technology. One of the big news revealed is an application launched exclusively – a partnership between the American CIA and Hit Music – and will provide a direct interaction with the audience. In the record of this megaespetáculo is the special participation of international artist Ian Thomas, only 17 years old.

Death

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Cristiano Araújo, 29, and his girlfriend, Allana Moraes, 19, died in the early morning of June 24, 2015 when the car they were riding in veered off the road and rolled over on the highway BR-153 at km 614, between Morrinhos and Pontalina in Goiás. The accident occurred around 3:30 am, as he was returning from a show in Itumbiara when his body guard/driver lost control of the car – 2015 Range Rover Sport HSE SD V6. There have been very few details released to the public as to what actually caused the driver to be distracted. However, alcohol or falling asleep were not the factors. Speed (179 km/h on a limited to 110 km/h road), welded rims and lack of safety were factors. The driver and Araujo's manager (who was in the passenger seat) were using seat belts and suffered only minor injuries.

Cristiano was sleeping upon Allana's lap and were in the back seat, without their seat belts, and were thrown out of the car causing him severe injuries and for her to be pronounced dead on scene (blunt cerebral trauma was the cause of Allana's death). Araujo had been stabilized in a municipal hospital, but he did not endure the transfer to a larger, more effective hospital – Hospital de Urgências de Goiânia (Hugo) – and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the trauma center.

The wake was on the same day of his passing and was public, so fans could pay respects and mourn. Both were buried the following day in the same cemetery.[3]

Discography

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Albums

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Studio albums
Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications
BRA
2013 Continua 7 2× Platinum
Live albums
Year Album Peak chart positions Album
BRA
2011 Efeitos  – Also available on DVD
2012 Ao Vivo em Goiânia  –
2014 In The Cities – Ao Vivo em Cuiabá 6

Singles

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Year Títle Peak chart positions Album
BRA
2011 "Efeitos"
(with Jorge)
37 Efeitos Tour 2011-Vol.1
2012 "Me Apego" 30 Ao Vivo em Goiânia
"Você Mudou" 14
"Mente Pra Mim" 11
2013 "Caso Indefinido" 5 Continua
"Maus Bocados" 4
2014 "Cê Que Sabe" 4 In the Cities-Ao Vivo em Cuiabá
"É com Ela que Eu Estou" 3
2015 "Hoje Eu Tô Terrível" 3
2016 "Vai Doer" (post mortem) 83 Non-album release
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Year Title Peak chart positions Album
BRA
2012 "Tcha Tcha Tcha"
(Thaeme & Thiago feat. Cristiano Araújo)
34 Ao Vivo em Londrina
"Pra Não Te Perder"
(Zé Neto & Cristiano feat. Cristiano Araújo)
Entre Amigos
2013 "Mesmo Longe"

(Nando Moreno feat. Cristiano Araújo)
76 Descompromissado-Ao Vivo em Uberlândia
2014 "Tá Soltinha"
(Thiago Brava part. Cristiano Araújo e Mr. Catra)
32 Ao Vivo em Goiânia
"Última Dose"
(João Neto & Frederico part. Cristiano Araújo)
11 Ao Vivo em Vitória
2015 "Tirei de Letra"
(Gabriel & Rafael feat. Cristiano Araújo)
32 DVD G&R
"Confesso"
(Babado Novo part. Cristiano Araújo)
Non-album release

Promotional songs

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Year Title Peak chart positions Album
BRA
2012 "Assim Você Mata o Papai"
(feat. Fernando & Sorocaba)
Ao Vivo em Goiânia
"Bara Bara"
(part. Bruno & Marrone)
"Ei, Olha o Som" Continua
2014 "Continua"
2015 "Traição a Queima Roupa"
(feat. Jads & Jadson)
33 non-album release

Other appearances

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Year Title Album Artist
2012 "Chorar Por Amor" Ao Vivo Israel & Rodolffo
"Delírios" Delírios-Ao Vivo em Goiânia Paula Baluart
"Copo de Vinho" Ao Vivo em Goiânia Zé Ricardo & Thiago
2013 "Você Vai Ficar Em Mim" Ao Vivo em Goiânia Eduardo Melo
"Sem Céu e Sem Chão" Acústico Eduardo Costa
"Arrocha da Paixão" Thiaga Brava Ao Vivo em Goiânia Thiago Brava
2014 "Gostoso Sentimento" Leonardo 30 Anos Leonardo
"Som do Coração" O Que Acontece No Bar-Volume 6 Hugo & Tiago
"Prometo Tudo" Ao Vivo em Cuiabá Anselmo & Rafael
"Boas Festas" Natal em Família 2 Gaby Amarantos
2015 "Que Tal" Só Uma História Kleo Dibah & Rafael
"O Amor Sorrindo Pra Gente" Made in Coração Janaynna Targino
"Coração Indisponível" Forró do Israel Israel Novaes
2016 "Se Olha no Espelho" Maiara & Maraisa Ao Vivo em Goiânia Maiara & Maraisa

Tours

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  • 2011–2012: Efeitos Tour
  • 2013–2014: Continua Tour
  • 2014: In The USA Tour
  • 2014: Europe Tour
  • 2014–2015: In The Cities Tour

References

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  1. ^ Eder Soares (February 9, 2012). "Cristiano Araujo volta à cidade com seu novo show esta noite" (in Portuguese). Correio de Uberlandia. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  2. ^ Marilia Neves (December 16, 2013). "Cristiano Araújo: "Desde que me entendo por gente, música popular brasileira é a sertaneja"" (in Portuguese). sertanejo.ig.com.br. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  3. ^ "Cantor Cristiano Araújo morre após acidente de carro em GO, diz hospital". G1 Goiás. June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
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