Luis Carlinhos

Lus Carlinhos is a 38-year-old singer/song writer from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). He started as the lead singer of the reggae band Dread Lion and recorded two CDs with them: Porque no paz? (1997) and J (2001). During this time, Dread Lion performed all over Brazil with other renowned reggae bands such as The Wailers, Pato Banton, Yellowman and Maxi Priest. Oh! Chuva, one of their hits written by Lus Carlinhos, was performed as a duet with the famous Brazilian singer Geraldo Azevedo and has also been covered by the band Falamansa, a version which became a national hit.

In 2005, Luis Carlinhos released his first solo CD Rapa da Panela. This CD was a personal effort. He produced it in his home studio and wrote ten out of the eleven songs in the CD. For the recording, he gathered a first class band, including Z Nogueira (saxophone), Z Paulo Becker (guitar), and Paulo Donatinho Calazans (keyboards). The CD was awarded the 2006 Claro Best Independent Brazilian Music I Album.

His second solo CD, "Muda, was released in June 2009. This CD had a really sophisticated sound, in part because of the contributions of Walter Villaa on baritone guitar, Siri on percussion and Sacha Ambacks smooth keyboard textures.

Next, he formed 4 Cabea with Gabriel Moura, Baia and Rog . They write all of their music, and their live shows feature voice and guitar. The band has played on major stages across the country and they won the award for Best Brazilian Music Group in the 21st Brazilian Music Awards for their 2010 debut album.

However, Lus Carlinhos, also known by his fans as Samambaia, is multi-talented and wears many hats. He has been a top striker in the Rock Gol MTV national soccer tournament. He also spent eight years performing all over Brazil, as well as in Portugal, as a featured musician-actor in the famous play Ccegas, alongside actresses Heloisa Periss and Ingrid Guimares.

Finally, on the mystical date of 12/12/12, Luis Carlinhos recorded his debut live DVD "Gentes 20 anos ao vivo in a private home in So Conrado, Rio de Janeiro. Alongside prestigious musicians such as Joo Hermeto (drums and percussion), Mauricio Oliveira (bass) and Joo Gaspar (electric guitar), Lus performed hits from his two solo CDs, "Rapa Panela" and "Muda, along with some Dread Lion reggae tracks, and three heavily anticipated new songs. This project was 60% crowd-funded on the website Embolacha, where fans participated by pre-purchasing CDs, DVDs, gig tickets, and even private gigs.

Currently, Luis Carlinhos is performing nationwide with "Gentes 20 anos ao vivo" whose CDs and DVDs are under the Sony Music Label.