Real name: Carlos Antônio Bezerra Da Silva

Effective period / Period of releases: 2005

Carlos Antônio Bezerra da Silva, known by his stage name “Totonho,” was born in the Tinguí estate in Monteiro, Paraíba. He is the son of Dona Luzia do Bolo. At the start of his career, he was a goat tripe seller and witnessed many impromptu folk singers of the region. That was when he first encountered music. Totonho recalls, “My house was always full of people, so I got used to seeing them.”

At just nine years old, Totonho formed the band “Os Renegados,” which played with cans (tin guitar, tin drums, and the like). “That's where it all started, and I became a composer,” says the artist.

In 1982, he decided that he truly wanted to pursue a career in music. He moved to the capital of Paraíba, where he founded the “Musiclube da Paraíba,” a cooperative of composers that saw names like Chico César, Milton Dornellas, Jarbas Mariz, and the brothers Pedro Osmar and Paulo Ró, Adeildo Vieira, among others.

For five years, Totonho participated in the “Projeto Tocar Por Prazer” (a group of bassists, guitarists, vocalists, composers, etc.) singing and playing the guitar in João Pessoa. During the same period, he attended College of Art and Education and started a social project with communities. Already awarded and known as one of the best composers in the region, at the end of 1988, he went to Rio de Janeiro for post-graduate studies and tried his luck as a musician. Meanwhile, Totonho continued composing, and in 1996, he opened shows for Geraldo Azevedo, João Bosco, and others.

At the end of the year, he joined other musicians to form “Totonho e os Cabra.” He says, “Os Cabra isn't exactly a band, but a collection of partners for making records and shows.” After participating and qualifying in the Projeto Pixinguinha, he kicked off a tour in March 1997 through seven Brazilian capitals. He occupied every possible space in Rio de Janeiro (parties, bars, the “low alternative” circuit, every place, as he says). Until in 1999, a demo ended up in the hands of music producer Carlos Eduardo Miranda. The result was the eponymous album “Totonho e Os Cabra,” which truly reflects its owner’s character.