One of the most successful samba groups of the 1990s, É o Tchan aroused considerable controversy due to their publicly recognized eroticized choreography. On the other hand, as their music is deeply rooted in the "legit" samba de roda of the region of the Recôncavo Baiano, some musical press journalists acknowledge them as an important disseminator of national culture. The group was formed in Salvador (Bahia) in the early '80s as Gera Samba. Only the third of their three albums had success; in 1995, the song "Segura o Tchan" became a hit. The group took the single's title as their name. É o Tchan had recorded another six albums by the year 2000, all selling well and airing on radio all around Brazil. The group is comprised of Compadre Washigton, Renatinho da Bahia (who replaced Beto Jamaica), Sheila Melo (who replaced Carla Perez), Sheila Carvalho (who replaced Débora Brasil), and Jacaré. ~ Alvaro Neder