Carlinhos Cantor

Carlinhos Cantor was born Carlos Alberto Monteiro de Castro in 1943 in Minas Gerais, Brazil. He grew up watching deforestation and urbanization change the landscape around him, and that experience shaped what he would do with music later on.

In 1988, when Brazil was marking 500 years since its discovery, he wrote 'Mata Atlântica, SOS Nos 500 Anos do Brasil.' The song became an anthem for the endangered coastal forest, putting a straightforward plea for conservation to music. It resonated with environmentalists and ordinary listeners who heard something honest in it.

He kept making albums through the 1990s and into 2000, like 'A Flor e o Beija-Flor' and 'Terra Amada,' usually working with an earthy, acoustic sound. Some people thought he was more activist than musician, but he kept writing about nature and culture without much fuss.