Arnaldo Antunes (pronounced[aʁˈnawduɐ̃ˈtunis]; bornArnaldo Augusto Nora Antunes Filho, 2 September 1960) is a Brazilian singer, writer, and composer. He was a member of the rock bandTitãs, which he co-founded in 1982 and left ten years later. After 1992, he embarked on a solo career. He has published poetry and had his first book published in 1983. He has worked withMarisa Monte,Tribalistas,Carlinhos Brown andPequeno Cidadão.
Arnaldo was born on September 2, 1960, to Arnaldo Augusto Nora Antunes and Dora Leme Ferreira. He was the fourth of seven children.[1] In 1967, he enrolled in Luís de Camões school and studied there until 1972. During the following year, he attendedPUC SP, where he first got involved with the local art scene. In 1975 he metPaulo Miklos, a classmate at Colégio Equipe. In 1978, he went to studyPortuguese andliterature atUSP.[2]
In 1979, Antunes formed his first band, Banda Performática, with his then-wife. In 1982,Titãs do Iê-Iê was formed, with Antunes as a founder. In 1984, they release theirself-titled debut album. In 1992, Antunes decided to leave Titãs, after recording seven albums with the band, due to musical differences. His departure was announced on 15 December 1992.[3]
On 13 November 1985, he was arrested forheroin trafficking after the police found 128 mg of the drug in his apartment in São Paulo. The officers arrived there after arresting his Titãs bandmateTony Bellotto, who was found with 30 mg in a taxi after leaving Antunes's place. Due to the quantity that Antunes had at home, he was accused of trafficking while Bellotto was only charged with possession. Antunes had bought the drug at the Rose Bom Bom nightclub, with money from a performance at a show organized byFernando Henrique Cardoso's campaign; he was then running for mayor of São Paulo.[4] At the precinct, he was put in an individual cell, since the sheriff considered imprudent to put him among 90 dangerous robbers.[5][4]
Antunes at the São Paulo Cultural Center in São Paulo 2007.
In 1993 he released his solo debut albumNome, a "multimedia project associating poetry and music", featuringJoão Donato,Marisa Monte andArto Lindsay as guest stars, and short computer animation features (produced in collaboration with Celia Catunda, Kiko Mistrorigo and Zaba Moreau). TheNome video was shown in art venues and festivals in Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Spain (where it received a Jury recommendation at the Festival International de Video Cidade de Vigo 1995), Netherlands, Monaco, Uruguay, Cuba, Chile, Colombia and the US (receiving an honorable mention at the first annual New York Video Festival).[6]
As a solo artist, Arnaldo Antunes later releasedNinguém (1995),O Silêncio (1996),Um Som (1998),Paradeiro (2001) andSaiba (Rosa Celeste/BMG 2004). He also released other albums in special projects, such asO Corpo (1999), a specially produced soundtrack forGrupo Corpo, a dance company fromMinas Gerais, and the albumOs Tribalistas (EMI/Phonomotor 2002), a collaborative project withMarisa Monte andCarlinhos Brown.[7][8]
His albumRSTUVXZ was ranked as the 16th best Brazilian album of 2018 by the Brazilian edition ofRolling Stone magazine.[10]
In 2020, humoristic groupPorta dos Fundos released a new version of "A Marcha do Demo" byVestidos de Espaço (supergroup of which Antunes was a part of) with Antunes on vocals in order to promote their Christmas specialTeocracia em Vertigem. The version received a video in which Antunes is seen singing in studio and the Porta dos Fundos members are seen singing undersocial distancing.Making-of footage is also shown.[11]
