Born in 1962 as Antonio Carlos Santos de Freitas in the community of Candeal Pequeno de Brotas – an African Quilombo resistance community planted in Salvador of Bahia’s heart – Brown has promoted throughout his career several rhythmic revitalizations developing rich and significant connections with his ancestral roots.

Acknowledged as one of Brazilian Cultures most creative and innovative artists from, the musician lives in constant search of new sonorous experimentations. On his youth as a musician, Brown would be responsible for most of the musical revolution. Since then, he has directly took part of first musical arrangements that originated Axé Music and Samba-Reggae composing hundreds of musical hits and achieving the mark of over 800 registered songs and more than a thousand recordings and musical databases around the world.

At the same Candeal Pequeno de Brotas he was born, Carlinhos has created invigorating artistic content for the Brazilian Pop scene that has reverberated throughout the world such as Timbalada – a live percussive movement born in the early 90’s that has potentialized talents and continues in constant transformation under Brown’s regency. The musical group has reinvented the timbau’s sonority and  several other musical instruments were created – such as the Bacurinha, Surdos-Virados and Rubber Nose.

Throughout his career Carlinhos Brown has become one of the most acknowledged musical artist from Bahia and a worldwide representative of the Brazilian music, always maintaining a bond with his home state and city.

In the beginning of his career, the Candeal was an overgrown wood isolated from the city. After Brown’s musical career consolidation, he developed several social projects that transformed the neighborhood and has attended children and youngsters of other communities in Salvador. From The percepts from the eldest and Candomblé’s sonority and orality has always been his main musical inspirations.

On 2002 Carlinhos Brown received the UN-Habitat Best Practice of a Human Settlement Program  Certificate for the “Tá Rebocado” Project – an urbanization and sanitation project for Candeal Pequeno de Brotas. On 1994 Brown also established in his neighborhood the Pracatum Social Action Association that has already benefited thousands of children in Bahia throughout music also offering several other courses; such as languages, fashion, recycling and educational workshops. Several important entities like the Brazilian Labor and Education Ministries and UNESCO are Pracatum’s social partners.

Brown has also created the Environmental Belonging Project, that approaches the Environmental Educational theme through infant educational honor books – bonding the child with the nature. Brazil is the only country where this thematic is directed to children with ages from 4 and 5 years old. Inside this social and educational context so present in Brown’s personal and professional trajectory, in 2018 he launches Candyall Educational to get even more involved in themes regarding education.

Among the several awards received through his career, the artist has accomplished a Goya Award, two Latin Grammy Awards with eight Latin Grammy nominations besides the one delivered in recognition to his actuation as an art educator by the International Society of Musical Education – ISME. On 2018 was the first musician to become an Ibero-American Cultural Ambassador where he received a warm welcome in Montevideo / Uruguay in 2019 while visiting the program IberCultura Viva. On 2020 as recognition for his social educational actuation, he received the title Ambassador of Bahia’s Restorative Justice.

It all began with the avant-gard musical movement Vai Quem Vem that worked as a laboratory on the creation of sounds and instruments – leaving more than 30 rhythms as a legacy. From that movement the Zárabes emerged. A group with more than 250 percussionists that were part of popular local festivities such as Bonfim Church Festivities and Yemanjá celebrations on February 2^nd. The Zárabes honored the Muslim culture part to the cultural and ethnics compositions of the Arabic Africa.

Carlinhos was the first artist from Bahia to test a new business model, forming a tripartite production experience for the distribution of his own music: focused on rhythmic revitalization Brown created musical school in Candeal, a recording studio and Museu du Ritmo (Rhythm Museum) and Candyall Guetho Square cultural spaces.

On 1992, he wrote a song that revolutionized the musical production process and provided a new view over the Brazilian Music. Magalenha was first recorded by the worldwide-acknowledged musician Sérgio Mendes for the album Brasileiro which also has Brown’s participation. The same song was part of the movie Dance With Me (1998) soundtrack.

Artists like Elba Ramalho (1993) and Claudia Leitte (2012) also recorded the song that still is worldwide remixed by DJs and Producers and was also recently recorded by Brown himself and Gloria Stephan (2020).

The heavy metal band Sepultura also was caught by the musician’s sonority. The result was the album Roots (1992) in which Brown collaborated as a musical producer, vocals and rhythmicization. Untill the present day the album is considered as a marc in the heavy metal culture and has inspired bands like Slipknot.

Salvador’s Carnival has always been the stage for his avant-garde projects. Brown’s participation on the festivity takes part in bands as a musician and later with his leadership on the space given to percussion and at the creation of innovative artistic contents such as the Timbalada’s Summer Concert and Mr. Brown Trio Elétrico (first equipment constructed in aluminum) beginning the circuit of national Brazilian artists on Salvador’s carnival.

Other artistic contents are: Timbalada’s Carnival Parade, Zárabes, Caetanave, The Apaxes, the historical Trio Saborosa (1974) – the first one in the shape of a bottle currently called Garrafão (Big Bottle) – and Camarote Andante that was launched in 2003 with the ideal of inviting the public from the private carnival booths and balconies to the streets joining the ones that are already there. With the Camarote Andante Brown also brought to the Trio Elétrico new sound systems.

For his 35^th Carnival Anniversary (2014) Brown showed his usual enthusiasm and the accomplishment strength that made him one of the most prestigious Brazillian artist on the world with the development of the “Afródromo Revitaliza” project.

The percussion has a fundamental role in Brown’s life, artistic trajectory and international projection – and until the present days stands in a special place in the artist’s skills mosaic. The life as a professional musician began over 40 years ago. On 1979 Brown started to follow Mr. Osvaldo Alves da Silva, a.k.a Mestre Pintado do Bongô – a musical percussion leader at the local samba groups that gathered several musicians on the neighborhood religious festivities. At the age of 17 Carlinhos was preforming with acknowledged artists like Batatinha, Mirian Batucada, Firmino de Itapoan, Claudete Macêdo and with the band Tornal Sol (a local Beatles cover group).

On the 80’s, already with the samba groups experience, the artist becomes a part of the Apaxes do Tororó percussion team. Originated on 1970 the group is the oldest Indian inspired carnival cultural groups. Brown was the onte that in 1993 suggested the spelling change from “Apaches” to “Apaxes”. On 1980 Brown was composer and percussionist of the African carnival group Zimbabwe and in the following year was invited by the guitar player Arnaldinho to be a part of Mar Revolto  – a Pop Rock local band.

On the following carnival, with Vicente dos Santos, Brown brought for the first time the tin timbau, the bongo – from his Mestre Pintado – atabaques and other instruments never before used by musicians on Trio Elétricos, shifting the percussive scene of concerts in carnivals and other festivities.

On the following year, Brown was invited to be a part of WR Studios where he learned recording and production techniques with Wesley Rangel – one of the most important musical producers from Bahia. There he recorded and composed some of Axé Music’s first musical hits like: “Cadê Meu Coco” performed by Sarajane and “Yayá Maravilha” recorded by Virgílio – whom Brown considers the owner of the timber that defined Samba Reggae.

At this same studio Carlinhos starte to write his songs. On 1984 the anthological band Acordes Verdes – leaded by Luiz Caldas – would trigger Axé Music’s birth. On the same year composed “Visão do Cíclope” with Jefferson Robson and Luiz Caldas. It was Luiz’s first radio broadcasted musical hit and one of the first Samba Reggae’s experiences.

Between 1982 and 1985, Brown preformed with Paulinho Boca de Cantor (nationally acknowledge for the “Novos Baianos”), Lui Muritiba and Chico Evangelista. He also was part of the Vagão musical group with Klaus Rupert, Gini Zambello, Tony Mola and Ivan Huol. While being part of Axé Music’s consolidation, and always at forefront, Carlinhos kept his rhythmic studies and created innovative lyrics and melodies.

On 1986 the song “Armando Eu Vou” cowritten with Ricardo Luedi and recorded by Cida Moreira became the first Axé Music song to be included in a national soap opera – Cambalacho / Globo TV. In the same year Brown broke a record and received a Caymmi Award for having at that time 26 songs simultaneously played on Radio Stations. He also wrote “É Difícil” (1987) recorded by Chiclete com Banana band which represented a transformation moment for the use of percussion on the Trio Elétrico sides.

Between 1987 and 1989 Brown was part of Caetano Veloso’s band as a percussionist. Caetano recorded “Meia Lua Inteira”, one of Brown’s first national achievements. This partnership was an important symbol at his artistic career.

It was only on 1996 when Carlinhos Brown was launched as a solo preforming artist. With Alfagamabetizado (Virgin / EMI-Odeon) began a new phase as a singer along with his work as a percussionist and song writer. Nowadays, this creative master is one of the most respected Brazilian musicians with several released albums.

With more than 800 written songs, and several yet unpublished, Brown stands out for the amount of songs that were major hits on the voices of other artists such as “Muito Obrigado Axé” (recorded by Ivete Sangalo and Maria Bethânia in 2009), “Selva Branca” written with Vevé Calazans (recorded by Chiclete com Banana in 1988) and “ECT” (recorded by Cássia Eller in 1994) written with Marisa Monte and Nando Reis.

Other musical achievements with Brown’s songs are: Paralamas do Sucesso with “Uma Brasileira” (1995), Erasmo Carlos with “Mais Um Na Multidão” (2016) written with Erasmo and Marisa Monte in 2016), Elba Ramalho with “Remexer” (co-written with Luiz Caldas in 1986) and Daniela Mercury with “Rapunzel” (1996) and “Maimbê Dandá” (written with Matheus Aleluia in 2014).

On 2020, the year where Brown became a doctorate theses in Spain with his activist art defended by the visual artist Durce Coelho, the creative master maintained his intense productions and among other achievements composed the Original Score and Soundtrack of Deborah Colcker’s new dance spectacle “Cura” premiering on 2021.

After being a part of Caetano Veloso’s tours, Brown gave his first steps on his international career. Since Timbalada he’s present at the concerts and European tours. On 1992 he recorded the Album Bahia Black with the Jazz musicians Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hankcock, Bernie Worrell and Henry Theradgill  and the participation of Olodum. During a season in New York Brown played with Marcus Miller, Bob James, Anthony Jackson, Lee Ritenour and Bill Laswell. He also composed songs several international artists like: Cuban singer Omara Portuondo, French artist Vanessa Paradis and the Beninese artist Angélique Kidjo.

Carlinhos is used to have annual European Tours. Not only as a solo artist but also as part of Timbalada’s tours. Among the most expressive moments of his international repercussion we can stand out the years of 2004 and 2005, when he accomplished carnival concerts and parades with a Trio Elétrico throughout the streets of several Spanish cities. In Madrid, Brown gathered over one million and five hundred thousand people. On 2005 the took the Camarote Andante Trio Elétrico to Barcelona gathering six hundred thousand people. On the following year Brown was invited to tour on six cities in Spain such as Bilbao, Valencia and Barcelona with personalities like Rafael Nadal and Fernando Alonso, to release the Movistar Carnival.

On 2008 Brown was part of the Carnival of the Canary Islands and the first edition of the Rock in Rio Madrid. His achievements in Spain are so huge that he has received the title of “King of Spain” and the film-maker Fernando Trueba produced and directed the Documentary “El Milagro del Candeal” that features the artist’s work the community of Candeal Pequeno de Brotas. The featured documentary received a Goya Award – Spanish Art’s most important award – and the relationship between Brown and Spain just grew.

On 2014 Brown was invited by Shakira to record the song La La La – Brazil 2014. Brown is currently considered as one of the most popular Brazilian artists of the world, especially in Spain, France and Germany.

Fifteen years after partnering with Marisa Monte and Arnaldo Antunes for the making and releases of “Tribalistas” 2002, creating a new musical avant-garde movement, Brown has reunited to release a second album also called “Tribalistas”. On the following year their first tour gathered thousands of fans in Brazil, Europe and United States.

Brown also carried his sonority to the world through motion pictures. On 2011 the artist cosigned with Ségrio Medes, Mikael Mutti, John Powell and Siedah Garret, the Original Soundtrack of Fox’s animated feature film “Rio”. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Real in Rio” cowritten by John Powell and Sideah Garett. The movie’s sequel “Rio 2” directed by Carlos Saldanha, also had six songs composed by Carlinhos Brown.

Other national and international motion pictures also had songs written by Brown, such as: “Salsa” (1988), “Navalha na Carne” (1997), “Dance With Me” (1998), “Xuxa e os Duendes” (2001), “2 Fast and 2 Furious” (2002), “O Casamento de Louise” (2002), “Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos” (2003), “O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta” (2005), “Ó Paí, Ó” (2007), “Capitães de Areia” (2011), “Pulse – A Stomp Odyssey” (2002). Are also on this list “Cidade Baixa” (2005), and the HBO TV Series “Sex And The City” (1998-2004) with the song “Aganju” (2003) recorded by Bebel Gilberto. Written with his son Chico Brown the song “As Aventuras do Diario de Pilar” theme song of the “Diário de Pilar” TV series, released by Nat Geo Kids. On 2018 the musician become member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Oscars™).

Music and visual arts always have dialogued in Carlinhos’ life. Since 2003 the artist has intensified his experience with the paint and the brushes. He has already exposed his paintings at the Castro Alves Theater’s and A Tarde Newspaper’s foyers, both in Salvador.

His first official exhibition “Olhar Que Ouve” was presented at Brasilia’s Caixa Cultural and also  at “Palácio do Planalto” – Brazil’s presidential office. On 2019 he had his first international exhibition “La Mirada Que Escucha” at the reputed Espacio Fundación Telefónica in Madrid / Spain.

His artwork has also been part of architectural exhibitions like Casa Cor São Paulo, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.

2020

• Ambassador of  Bahia’s Restorative Justice – Title conceived by the  2^nd Restorative Justice Center of Bahia’s Judicial 2^nd Degree Power.
• Focas Award, granted by the Children and Adolescents Defensce Forum.
• Você e a Paz Award, granted by the Divaldo’s Franco Mansão do Caminho

2019

• ODS Global Pact Award. Brazil’s Network Global Pact Initiative. Neoenergia Group Energy Efficiency Action through the “Paxuá e Paramim” Characters.

2018

• Ibero-American Cultural Ambassador Title by SEGIG- Secretaria Geral de Ibero- Americana (Ibero-Amerircan Genreal Secretariat).
• Member of theAcademy of Motion Pictures  Arts and Sciences (Oscars™)
• Mandela Day Award. Nelson Mandela Cultural and Black Consciousness. Award given to personalities with fundamental importance in social and racial equality actions.
• Brazilian Spanish Commerce Chamber. Honored by the Pracatum’s social work.

2017

• ABERJE Award. Communication of programs aiming corporate sustainability. The Electrifying Adventures of Paxuá and Paramim.

2016

• JK Award. The Entrepreneur. Rio 2016. World Capital of Victory.
• Band Folia Award.
• Itapoan FM Carnival. Wesley Rangel Tribute. Bahia’s Cultural and Musical Production Icon.
• Dodo & Osmar Award. Best Male Fashion Production.

2014

• Cultural Merit Commendation – Junior Category.
• Public Ministry Merit Medal.
• 31st Isme World Conference, in Porto Alegre.

2013

• Lifetime Achievement Award at the Brazilian International Press Awards (USA)

2012

• Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song with “Real In Rio”, from the animated motion Picture “Rio” directed by Carlos Saldanha.
• Nominated for the 2012 Annie Awards on the Best Original Score category for Carlos Saldanha’s Rio Animated Film.
• Awarded by Brazil’s Foreign Press Correspondants Association  for the “Capitães da Areia’s”.
• Nominated for the Brazilian Cinema Grand Prize on the Best Soundtrack category for Cecilia Amado’s “Capitães de Areia”.
• Chosen as one of Salvador’s City Ambassador for the 2014 World Cup.
• Special Guest at the UNESCO International Arts Education Week in Paris.

2011

• 12^th Latin Grammy Awards – Nominated for the categories Best Singer Composer Album and Best Sound Engineering for the album “Diminuto”.

2008

• Trophy Tourism Axé – Bahiatursa – The artist that has mostly internationally publicized Bahia during the year.

2007

• 12 Months 12 Causes Telecinco Awards (Spain) – Best Solidarity Trajectory – Carlinhos Brown.
• 8^th Latin Grammy Awards – Nominated for the Best Contemporary Pop Album Category – “A Gente Ainda Não Sonhou”.
• Castro Alves Award – 2007 Carnival Bests – Carlinhos Brown.
• Caixa Econômica Federal Award – Achievements for Social Work.

2006

• Dodô & Osmar Award – Special Award – Business Achievements.
• 7^th Latin Grammy Awards – Nominated for the Best Pop Song Category – “O Bonde do Dom”.

2005

• Goya Award  – Academia de las Artes y Ciencias Cinematograficas de España – Best Original Song for “Zambie Mameto” for the documentary “El Milagro del Candeal”.

2004

• Tomé de Sousa Medal (Salvador’s Municial Chamber) – for contribution to Brazil’s and Bahia’s musicial culture – Carlinhos Brown.
• Order of Cultural Merit (Brazil’s Culture Ministery) – for services provided to the Brazilian culture – Pracatum Social Action Association.
• Designated as Messenger of the Truth – UN-Habitat / World Urban Forum – Carlinhos Brown.
• 5^th Latin Grammy Award – Winner at the Best Brazilian Contemporary Album Category – “Carlinhos Brown é Carlito Marrón”
• Golden Record – BMG Spain – “Carlinhos Brown é Carlito Marrón”
• Dodô & Osmar Award – 204 Carnival’s Best Song – “Maimbê Dandá”

2003

• Cooperación Internacional Caja Granada Award – For his social work – Carlinhos Brown.
• Amigo Award (Spain) – Latin Best New Artist – Carlinhos Brown.
• Amigo Award (Spain)  – Best Latin Album – “Tribalistas”.
• Prince Claus Awards (Netherland) – For his artistic and social work – Carlinhos Brown.
• Ondas Award (Spain) – Best Brazilian Contemporary Album – “Tribalistas”.
•  4^th Latin Grammy Award – Best Contemporary Pop Brazillian Album – “Tribalistas”.
• FestivalBar (Italy) – Best International Artist – “Tribalistas”
• Platinum Record – EMI Music Brasil – “Tribalistas”.
• Triple Platinum Record – Virgin Music Italy – “Tribalistas”.
• Austregésilo de Athayde Award – Best Album – “Tribalistas”.
• Multishow Award – Best Album, Best Musical DVD, Best Song (“Já Sei Namorar”) – “Tribalistas”
• TIM Award – Best Group – “Tribalistas”
• 12^th Dodô & Osmar Award – 2003 Carnival’s Best Song – “Dandalunda”.

2002

• UNESCO Award – Youth Category, for his work with PRACATUM.
• APCA Award (São Paulo’s Art Critics Association) – Best Album Category – “Tribalistas”.
• UN-Habitat Best Practice of a Human Settlement Program Certificate for the “Tá Rebocado” Project – an urbanization and sanitation project for Candeal Pequeno de Brotas.

2000

• 2^nd Latin Grammy Award – Nominee for Best Brazilian Song Category – “Amor I Love You”

1999

• CNN-TIME Award – Latin American Leaders for the New Millenium -– Carlinhos Brown.

1998

• Multishow Award – Melhor Instrumentalist – Carlinhos Brown.

1997

• Prêmio Multishow Award – Best Singer – Carlinhos Brown.
• Golden Record – EMI Music Brasil – “Alfagamabetizado”.

1996

• Trophée RFI/SACEM.
• Sharp Musical Award – Regional Category – CD “Mineral” – Timbalada.

1993

• Billboard Magazine / Best Album in Latin America – CD “Timbalada”.

1985

• Caymmi Award – for having 26 songs simultaneously being played on Salvador’s Radio Stations.

Solo Albums and DVD’s

2020 – “Paxuá e Paramim em: A floresta dos rios voadores”

2020 – “Umbalista”

2020 – Axé Inventions (Àjààlà)

2019 – Digita Release of 1998’s “Omelete Man”

2017 – “Semelhantes”

2016 – “ARTEFIREACCUA – Incinerando o Inferno”

2014 – “Sarau Du Brown – Ritual Beat System”

2014 – “VIBRAAASIL Beats Celebration”

2014 – “Marabô”

2012 – “Mixturada Brasileira”

2010 – “Diminuto” and “Adobró”

2007 – “A Gente Ainda Não Sonhou”

2006 – DVD “Carlinhos Brown Live at Festival de Verão Salvador 2006”

2005 – “Candombless”

2004 – “Candyall Beat”

2004 – DVD “Inside Carlito Marrón”

2004 – “O Milagre do Candeal”

2003 – “Carlinhos Brown és Carlito Marrón”

2001 – “Bahia do Mundo – Mito e Verdade”

1998 – “Omelete Man”

1996 – “Alfagamabetizado”

Timbalada’s Albums

2019 – EP Voltamos para Casa

2017 – Timbalada Séc XXI

2014 – Carlinhos Brown Apresenta – Timbalada da Macota

2008 – Timbalada Ao Vivo

2004 – Serviço de Animação Popular

2002 – Motumbá Bless

2001 – Timbalismo

1998 – Vamos dar a volta no Guetho

1997 – Mãe de Samba

1996 – Mineral

1995 – Cada Cabeça é um Mundo

1995 – Andei Road

1993 – Timbalada

Trabalhos Coletivos

2019 – DVD and CD “Tribalistas Ao Vivo” – Arnaldo Antunes, Carlinhos Brown and Marisa Monte.

2017 – DVD and CD “Tribalistas” – Arnaldo Antunes, Carlinhos Brown and Marisa Monte.

2004 – CD Candyall Beat – Carlinhos Brown and DJ Dero.

2002 – DVD and CD “Tribalistas” – Arnaldo Antunes, Carlinhos Brown and Marisa Monte.

1995 – “Brasileiro” – Sérgio Mendes – five of the twelthe songs are Carlinhos Brown’s compositions.

1992 – “Bahia Black – Ritual Beating System” – Several artists with Musical Production by de Bill Laswell.