João MacDowell

Who is João MacDowell?

Brazilian musical artist Joao MacDowell, born in Brasilia, started his professional career as leader and vocalist of the Brazilian cult band Tonton Macoute. The composer was in a couple of bands before that, one of them called Antiperipleia, another called “Sabado Cedo Nao Tem Carne” with Brazilian artist Marcio Faraco on guitars, Cascao on drums, from the band “Detrito Federal”, Pedro Hiena on bass - Arte no escuro and the late Ric Novaes on vocals.

The band Tonton Macoute left a mark on a generation of artists in the capital of Brazil and further. They had a track record of independent radio hits. The songs Electric Light and A Pele became instant radio hits, starting at Fluminense FM, and then at Radio Cidade and Transamerica FM. This radio exposure led to a consistent following on their performances. They also made hits in radio stations across the country, many of these stations, such as Radio Cidade and Transamerica, would normally refuse to play independent bands, which made their achievement quite a unique feat for the time.

Joao Mac Dowell went on to work as record producer and composer, working with names such as Claudia Otero, Fabio Lobo, Little Quail and The Md Birds, Funk Fuckers and Rubao Sabino, . He wrote soundtracks for films by Mauro Giuntinni, Katcha Donida and others.