Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

CARLOS, Roberto

(b Roberto Carlos Braga, '41, Cachoeiro do Itapemirim, Brazil) Durable Brazilian composer and singer who came to prominence '65 on his TV show Jovem Guarda ('Young Guard'), which also featured other singers and lyricist Erasmo Carlos (real name Esteves, b '41, Carlos's constant partner in composition). The expression 'jovem guarda' came to typify middle-of-the-road rock, also called 'iêiêiê', which provided an alternative to bossa nova and to the political protest music of Chico Buarque and others. More recently Carlos has composed and sung mainly ballads or music with a samba beat, his highly romantic output pilloried by the intelligentsia as 'music for the maids', but Carlos has the last laugh: he is Brazil's most popular performer, albums selling prodigiously in Brazil and abroad as well (there is some material in English and Spanish). He has a knack of writing good tunes, many of which are recorded by other singers, such as Maria Bethânia in her album As cançães que você fez para mim. His many albums are mostly called Roberto Carlos.