The smart Leno, in the dawn of the Jovem Guarda, when the Beatles' sound was the craze among Brazilian youngsters, would import the albums of the English group and make Brazilian Portuguese versions for them even before the original records arrived in Brazil, like the "Help" version for the Youngsters. Leno's first individual album after the dissolution of the Leno e Lilian duo in 1968 was the single "A Pobreza" (Renato Barros), a national hit that pushed his first solo LP, Leno, to the top of the hit parade. The album also had success with "Papel Picado" (Renato Barros). In 1969, Leno recorded A Festa Dos Seus Quinze Anos, which had two hits: the title track, by Ed Wilson, and "E Quando Você Me Deixou" (Pedro Paulo/Getúlio Cortes). In 1970, he participated in the V FIC (International Song Festival) with "A Última Vez Que Vi Rosane." The same year, he recorded an uncommon production, Vida y Obra de Johnny McCartney, with Raul Seixas; it was censored and remained unpublished. Discovered by accident in the Sony Music archives, it was finally released in 1995. In 1972 and 1973, Leno e Lilian teamed up again. After that, Leno became a producer, working for Matéria Prima, Impacto V, and Flor de Cactus (whose percussionist, Laudir DeOliveira, would be an effective member of the world-famous Chicago). He also recorded other appreciated solo LPs like Meu Nome É Gileno and, in Los Angeles, California, a version of "Ruby Tuesday" (Rolling Stones) with drummer Jim Keltner. Leno died on December 8, 2022 while in treatment for cancer; he was 73 years of age. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi