Mandi & Sorocabinha was the first commercial sertanejo duo in Brazil. It was formed by Manuel Rodrigues Lourenço, the Mandi (Anhembi, state of São Paulo, Brazil, January 25, 1905 – March 12, 1995) and Olegário José de Godoy, the Sorocabinha (Piracicaba, state of São Paulo, January 3, 1895 – São Paulo, July 10, 1995).[1]
Manuel Rodrigues Lourenço formed in 1917 the Caboclo Quartet, in which they also played Luís Antônio de Oliveira Júnior, Astrogildo de Lima Peazza and Antônio Ferraz de Arruda. At the time, it was divided between the musical career and the profession of primary teacher. When he was still director of the Rural School Group of the city of Dois Córregos, he attended a presentation by the guitar player Olegário José and called him to join the Turma Caipira, a group that also brought together Cornélio Pires, Arlindo Santana, Caçula, Ferrinho, Mariano, Sebastião Ortiz and Zico Dias.
After several performances in São Paulo throughout the 1920s, the duo traveled to Rio de Janeiro in 1929 to record their first recordings. In the same year turma caipira made its last presentation, in Santos.
In the 1930s, Mandi and Sorocabinha recorded more than 60 albums for Columbia, RCA Victor, Odeon and Parlophon. They debuted in the cinema in 1934, singing Caboclo feliz, Caipira mulato and Imposto do selo in the film Let's walk with Cornélio Pires, documentary directed by Cornélio himself. They also performed at the Urca Casino, at the invitation of Alvarenga and Ranchinho.
From 1936, the duo's work fell, because Sorocabinha moved to São Paulo while Mandi was still in Piracicaba. After the final separation in 1940, Sorocabinha worked with other partners until he abandoned his musical career in 1951.
