Carlos Cezar

Origin

Pradópolis, SP

Years active

1978–2002

Genres

sertaneja, mpb

Instruments

violão

Biography

Carlos Cezar, artistic name of João Carlos Cezar Dorácio, was a renowned Brazilian singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and music producer, born in Pradópolis, São Paulo, on June 2, 1942. His artistic career began with participation in Brazilian popular music (MPB) and sertaneja music festivals. With a remarkable knack for composition, he would often set verses to music as he read them. His first recorded composition was "Pontapé na mesa" in 1978, a partnership with Tony Damito, released by the duo Milani and Marcial.

The year 1979 marked his rise, when, in collaboration with composer José Fortuna, he won the top three places at the II Festival de Música Sertaneja on TV Record in São Paulo. In 1980, several of his compositions were recorded by artists such as the group Os Príncipes DOeste, and the duos Valderi and Mizael, Josemar and Joselito, and Rony and Robson. Among them, "A vaquinha", "Bem me quer, mal me quer", "Amigo de fé", and "Berrante de ouro" stand out, the latter being a major success with several later recordings. That same year, he composed the hymn "Viva a mãe de Deus e nossa" in partnership with Count Dr. José Vicente de Azevedo.

In 1981, he began his successful duo with Cristiano, nicknamed "Os Cowboys Andarilhos". Together, they recorded a dozen albums and reached first place at the Record Festival with the song "O Vai e Vem do Carreiro", also written by him and José Fortuna. Carlos Cezar had a vast body of work, with over a hundred songs composed in partnership with José Fortuna, recorded by major names in sertaneja music such as Sérgio Reis, Tião Carreiro and Paraíso, Chitãozinho and Xororó, and Trio Parada Dura. He passed away on May 6, 2002, in Mogi Guaçu, São Paulo, a victim of renal failure, leaving a significant legacy for Brazilian music.