The Trio Esperança was formed in 1958 by siblings Mário Correia José Maria, Regina Correia José Maria, and Eva Correia José Maria (Evinha), who were respectively ten, 12, and seven at the time. They debuted in radio in 1961, at Rádio Mundial (RJ), soon recording their first single, Menino do Amendoim (José Messias), through Odeon. In 1963 the group recorded their first LP, Nós Somos o Sucesso, which contained their first hit, "Filme Triste" ("Loudermilk" adaptation by Romeu Silva). Many of their songs fell into the then-popular jovem guarda category, such as "Festa do Bolinha" (Roberto Carlos/Erasmo Carlos), "Gasparzinho" (Renato Correia), and other similar tunes. Until 1968, the year in which Evinha departed for her solo career, the trio recorded five LPs. Joined by another sister, Marisa Correia José Maria, the trio recorded seven more LPs and CDs by 1999, remaining active in Europe during that time. They also incorporated a variety of musical styles into their repertoire, including MPB. ~ Alvaro Neder