Max De Castro

Music first entered Max de Castro’s world through his father, the singer Wilson Simonal. In 1992 he became a member of the band Confraria, which Pedro Camargo Mariano had founded with his brother João Marcello Mariano; Daniel Carlomagno joined the following year. The group enjoyed success at numerous school festivals. After spending two years with Cia da Música, Castro began working as an arranger and placed songs on the albums João Marcello Bôscoli e Cia and Pedro Camargo Mariano. In his role as producer he contributed to projects by Thalma de Freitas, Klébi, Patrícia Marx, and Cláudio Zoli. He also composed the score for the play Opus Profundo under the direction of Dionísio Neto. Between 1998 and 1999 he participated in the Artistas Reunidos project alongside Jairzinho Oliveira, Daniel Carlomagno, Luciana Mello, Pedro Camargo Mariano, and Wilson Simoninha. Their shows at Supremo Musical featured guest appearances by Djavan, Jair Rodrigues, César Camargo Mariano, Cláudio Zoli, Netinho of Negritude Jr., and Otto, among others. The same collective performed at the Blen Blen Brasil nightclub in São Paulo, where the live album Projeto Artistas Reunidos was recorded and issued in 2000. That same year Castro released his debut solo recording, Samba Raro, which drew enthusiastic notices from Nelson Motta and drew praise from Ed Motta and Jorge Ben Jor. DJ Patife’s remix of the track “Pra Você Lembrar” reached the alternative dance charts in London. Artistas Reunidos further represented Brazil at the Beny Moré Festival in Cuba.