Roberto Carlos (singer)

Early life

Roberto Carlos Braga, the youngest of four children, was born in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, a town in southern Espírito Santo. His father, Robertino Braga, worked as a watchmaker, and his mother, Laura Moreira Braga, was a seamstress. The family lived simply on a hill in the Nook neighborhood. When he was six, during the feast of Saint Peter, a steam locomotive struck him, leading to the amputation of his right leg just below the knee.

He wears a prosthesis but rarely talks about the accident. He picked up the guitar and piano from his mother and later studied at the Itapemirim Music Conservatory. At age nine, he made his debut on a children's radio show at Rádio Cachoeiro, singing the bolero "Mal Amor." His prize was a bag of candies, and he recalled feeling nervous but thrilled. He went on to become a regular performer on that program.

Career

Influenced by Elvis Presley and the 1950s rock revolution, Roberto Carlos joined Tim Maia, Arlênio Silva, Edson Trindade and Wellington in the vocal group The Sputniks in 1957. After a disagreement between Tim and Roberto, the group disbanded. In the 1960s, he became known for the Jovem Guarda movement, the first manifestation of Brazilian pop rock, and was called "O Rei" (the King). His first single and LP, Louco por você (1961), were commercial failures, and he risked being fired from CBS in favor of Sérgio Murilo, but Murilo was fired instead.

Roberto Carlos also starred in motion pictures directed by Roberto Farias, many inspired by Beatles movies. He insisted on investing in young music and rock, releasing Splish Splash in 1962.

With friend Erasmo Carlos, he recorded Portuguese versions of pop songs and wrote originals such as "Parei Na Contramão," a hit. The album É Proibido Fumar followed, and the Jovem Guarda TV program began in 1965 at TV Record, hosted by Roberto Carlos, Erasmo Carlos and Wanderléa. That year he released the albums Roberto Carlos Canta Para A Juventude and Jovem Guarda.

50th career anniversary

On 11 July 2009, Roberto Carlos performed a major show at Maracanã Stadium, his first presentation there, with an estimated audience of 70,000 people. His 50th career anniversary was also celebrated with a major exhibition in the Lucas Nogueira Garcez Pavilion in Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo, opened on 4 March 2010, portraying his life and career. The young poet and composer Gabriel Ataide Lima cited Roberto Carlos as a major influence.