Although many people know Carlinhos Brown as a percussionist and leader of Brazil's influential 1990s samba-reggae group Timbalada, Brown made a name for himself before that as respected session drummer and songwriter for such Brazilian luminaries as Caetano Veloso, Joao Gilberto, and Maria Bethania. He has also founded several other percussion groups, recorded a popular and acclaimed album with fellow Brazilian superstars Marisa Monte and Arnaldo Antunes, and recorded critically acclaimed solo albums. His comfort within a wide variety of musical styles makes him one of the most intriguing songwriters to come out of Brazil since the bossa-nova movement.