Mercenárias

Mercenárias
Origin	São Paulo, Brazil
Genres	Post-punk, alternative rock, punk rock, new wave
Years active	1982–1988, 2006–present
Labels	Baratos Afins, EMI, Nada Nada Discos
Associated acts	Inocentes, Ira!, Smack, Cabine C, Akt
Members	Sandra Coutinho Sílvia Tape Michelle Abu
Past members	Rosália Munhoz Ana Machado Lourdes Moreira Edgard Scandurra Geórgia Branco Pitchu Ferraz

Mercenárias (Portuguese for "Mercenaries"), sometimes erroneously referred to as As Mercenárias, are a Brazilian all-female rock band formed in São Paulo in 1982, by bassist Sandra Coutinho, vocalist Rosália Munhoz and guitarist Ana Machado. With lyrics that heavily criticized Brazilian government and society (and sometimes the Catholic Church as well), their sonority was constantly compared to Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Sex Pistols and above all The Slits.

The band ended in 1988, but reunited in 2006 with a new line-up; further changes on the band's line-up would be made in early 2015. The only original founding member remaining is Coutinho.

Mercenárias was founded in São Paulo in 1982, by Sandra Coutinho, Rosália Munhoz and Ana Machado, at the time college students: Rosália studied Psychology at the PUC-SP, while Sandra and Ana were classmates at the ECA-USP, where they studied Journalism. A then-unknown Edgard Scandurra initially served as the band's drummer; however, he would leave the band in order to focus on the incipient Ira!, and was replaced by Lourdes "Lou" Moreira by the time the band released their first album. Sandra would also join Smack in 1983, alongside Scandurra, Sérgio "Pamps" Pamplona and Thomas Pappon, and gothic rock band Cabine C in 1984, alongside former Titãs member Ciro Pessoa. In 1983 they recorded a demo tape, containing eight tracks, but it was never made available to the general public.

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