Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro

Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro, a Brazilian of African and Portuguese descent, is a percussionist best known for playing the pandeiro, and is one of the instrument's major proponents.

He took up pandeiro at the age of 7 when he began tapping his mother's cake pan. His association with the famed Mangueira Samba School led to notoriety as a child prodigy. As a 14-year old in 1957, he appeared in the Academy Award-winning film "Black Orpheus" ("Orfeu Negro"), playing pandeiro and dancing across the screen.

Working in Brazilian national radio led to work with singers Emelinha Borba and Marlena and the composer Ataulfo Alves. In 1966, he won a national pandeiro contest with innovative rhythms and pandeiro juggling technique. This established his name, "Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro", which might be translated as "Little Karl of the Golden Pandeiro."

By age 19, he was working in Europe, including 11 years in Sweden. More recently, he resided in Hawaii for 21 years before moving to California. In 2003, he was Grand Marshal in the Carnaval San Francisco. He continues to perform and teach in Los Angeles and at the California Brazil Camp.