I created this profile so that people (especially Americans) could learn more about the music of the brilliant percussionist and song writer, Carlinhos Brown. Carlinhos Brown was born Antonio Carlos Santos de Freitas in a poor neighborhood in the city of Salvador, which is the capital of Bahia, Brazil. Inspired by both the musician James Brown and the Black Panther H. Rap Brown, he changed his name to Carlinhos Brown as a young man. He is heard and adored all over Brazil for his amazing lyrics and mixes of traditional Afro-Brazilian drumming with more pop beats. Bahia is considered the heart of African influence on Brazilian culture and the source of many amazing, influential Brazilian musical artists. Carlinhos Brown has both collaborated and composed music for many of these bahianos, including -- but definitely not limited to -- Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Marisa Monte, Gal Costa, Daniela Mercury, and Sergio Mendes......................................................
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.........Carlinhos Brown's most popular solo album is "Alfagamabetizado" (1996). In 2002, Carlinhos Brown, Marisa Monte and Arnaldo Antunes released the "Tribalista" album, of which "Ja Sei Namorar" became a big hit in Brazil. In his CD "Carlito Marron" (which is the literal translation of Carlinhos Brown into Spanish), Carlinhos Brown incorporates many Latin -- not just Brazilian -- musical sounds......................................................
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.........Carlinhos Brown is not only a musician but also a social activist. He has many social projects aimed at improving the conditions of the citys poor -- particularly the street children of his own neighborhood, Candeal. The most famous of these projects is the group Timbalada, which is composed of over 120 instrumentalists, most of whom are drummers.
