Erasmo Carlos

Erasmo Carlos (born Erasmo Esteves; 5 June 1941 – 22 November 2022) was a Brazilian singer and songwriter, most closely associated with his friend and longtime collaborator Roberto Carlos (no relation). Together, they created many chart hits including "É proibido fumar", "Sentado à beira do caminho", "Além do horizonte", "Amigo" and "Festa de arromba".

A core member of the Jovem Guarda ("Young Guard") scene of 1960s Brazilian pop-rock, Erasmo often appeared on television, in magazines and feature films with fellow teen idols Roberto Carlos and Wanderléa.

Erasmo Esteves was born in the neighbourhood of Tijuca in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Carlos knew Sebastião Rodrigues Maia (who would later be known as Tim Maia) since childhood. Maia taught him his first chords on guitar.

In 1957, Roberto Carlos joined Maia's vocal group The Sputniks beside Arlênio Silva, Edson Trindade and Wellington. After a fight between Tim and Roberto, the group disbanded. The year after that Arlênio decided to call Erasmo and two other friends from Tijuca, Robert and José Edson Trindade, known as "China", to form the vocal group The Snakes later renamed to The Boys of Rock.

At the suggestion of Carlos Imperial, the group was renamed The Snakes. They backed both Roberto and Tim Maia in their respective shows.

Roberto Carlos needed the lyrics to the song "Hound Dog," a hit by Elvis Presley. Arlênio Livy told him Erasmo had the lyrics, as he was a big fan of Elvis. Roberto then discovered other affinities with Erasmo, as both of them liked Bob Nelson, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, and cheering for Vasco da Gama. Tim Maia taught Erasmo how to play guitar. Erasmo decided to adopt the name Carlos in his stage name, in honor of Roberto Carlos and Carlos Imperial. Before going solo, Erasmo was also part of the band Renato e seus Blue Caps in 1962.

Erasmo participated effectively with Roberto Carlos and Wanderléa in the Jovem Guarda television show, where he had the nickname "Tremendão" (The Big Tremendous), imitating the clothes and style of his idol Elvis Presley. His greatest successes as a singer in this phase were "Gatinha manhosa" and "Festa de arromba." He had been rumored to become the main presenter of the program, but Roberto Carlos ended up taking the spot. Roberto and Erasmo, as songwriting partners, were criticized for singing and writing rock music and being thus "Americanized". As a response, "Coqueiro verde" was the first samba-rock recorded by Erasmo. Although it was not Erasmo's first foray into a samba derivative, in 1966, Elza Soares recorded the sambalanço "Toque o Balanço" (co-written by Roberto).

In the 1970s, Erasmo signed with Polydor. For the first half of the decade, his shows were very different from that of the Jovem Guarda movement. Influenced by the hippie culture and soul music, he released Carlos, Erasmo in 1971. The album, which opens with "De Noite na cama", written by Caetano Veloso for him, was a controversial ode to marijuana.