Carlito do Estacio

Carlito, directing a bloco bateria at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Born in Belem do Para in Brazil, Carlito always lived with the arts in his home.  His father was a plastics artist (sculptor and painter) and his mother was a seamstress and costume maker.  He went to Rio de Janeiro very young, as his family went to look for opportunities on new horizons.  With the loss of his father, he had to face reponsibility and the realities of life very early.  He had to continue the family sculpture business with his mother.  After some turbulence in his life, he abandoned the arts to concentrate on his studies and in this way, he began different work.   

Later, art re-entered his life when he started Samba in the most important School of Samba, GRES Estacio de Sa, the first School of Samba founded in Brazil (in 1927, then known as Deixa Falar).  He helped in many ways, learning a lot.  He dedicated himself to percussion and his ascendance was very quick indeed.  He was picked as one of the Golden Fifteen, a select group of the top Samba players chosen to represent the Estacio de Sa School.  Later on, he took over the role of Director of Tamborins.  

He was very active in various diverse Schools of Samba in Rio many of which are known to be the top Schools of Samba in Brazil, (for example Estacio de Sa, Mocidade, Porto da Pedra, Beija Flor, Villa Isabel, Tradiçao, Vizinha Faladeira, Engenho da Rainha, Unidos da Ponte and Império da Tijuca amongst others).  As well, he was one of the founders of a traditional bloco called Muvuca do Sao Carlos.
Carlito's School of Samba Bateria cards from Rio de Janeiro.Carlito's Samba Bateria musician cards from Rio de Janeiro

In 1996, Carlito left Brazil to take part in a European and South American tour, which passed through many countries such as Finland, Holland, Norway, Belgium, France, the United States and Great Britain where he played Samba in the Albert Hall.  

In 2004 he left Brazil again to return to the UK when he was invited to do workshops for Paraiso School of Samba in London.  There he got to know Katherine better (who he had met in 2002), whom he is now actually married to.  Together, they founded Boudica in Colchester, bringing authentic Brazilian culture to Essex and the UK.