Carlos Alberto Moniz was born in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Archipelago on August 2, 1948. He studied at the Portuguese Institute of Agronomy, but music has always been his passion.
This musician has a long career in music as an author, composer, conductor and performer, having integrated several musical groups, in addition to his solo career and many projects that it will not be possible to name them all.
Carlos Alberto Moniz participated in numerous shows in Portugal and abroad, namely with Adrano Correia de Oliveira, Carlos Paredes and José Afonso.
He was a member of the board of the Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores for two terms, in 1983 in 1991, he returned to the board of S.P.A. from 2001 to 2003 and in 2011 he returned to this organization.
There were many albums by other colleagues in which Carlos Alberto Moniz participated, either as an instrumentalist or as an orchestrator, and here are a few:
José Afonso, Adriano Correia de Oliveira, Carlos Paredes, Manuel Freire, José Jorge Letria, José Barata Moura, Maria da Fé, José Mário Branco, Toni de Matos, Fernando Tordo, Paulo de Carvalho, Carlos do Carmo, Mário Viegas, José Carlos Ary dos Santos, Lenita Gentil, Brigada Viíor Jara, Chico Buarque de Holanda, among others.
Carlos Alberto Moniz worked, in addition to Portugal from north to south, including the islands, in countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, West Germany and East Germany, former Soviet Union , Bulgaria, former Yugoslavia, United States of America, Canada, Brazil, Macau (in the People’s Republic of China), Senegal, Angola and East Timor.
As a writer he had a partnership with José Jorge Letria for 25 years, from which emerged works such as Rua dos Navegantes and the cantata Macau Um Sonho Oriental.
Let’s highlight some aspects of Carlos Alberto Moniz’s career, which spans more than 50 years:
It was in 1969 that Carlos Alberto Moniz made his television debut alongside Maria do Amparo, in the duo Carlos Moniz & Maria do Amparo. The presence of this duo in programs such as Zip Zip and other television formats of the time was a constant;
The year 1971 was marked by the presence of this musician in the group Efe5, created on purpose to participate in the VIII Grande Prêmio TV da Canção Portuguesa with the song Rosa Roseira. The Efe5 group, in addition to Carlos Alberto Moniz, also included Agostinho Borges, Carlos Rodrigues, Fátima Rodrigues and Maria João Lencastre;
In 1973 he joined the group Improviso together with Ana Teodósio, Manuel José Soares and Maria do Amparo to compete for the X Grande Prêmio TV da Canção Portuguesa, with the theme Cantiga;
In the following year and already in freedom (1974), still maintaining the duo with Maria do Amparo that would last for a few more years, he joined the October group together with Alfredo Vieira de Sousa, Madalena Leal, Maria do Amparo and Pedro Osório. This group has released two albums;
Fungagá da Bicharada was a highly successful television project created in 1975 of which he was the author and an integral part;
In 1979 the duo Carlos Moniz and Maria do Amparo competed with two themes for the Festival RTP da Canção 1979: A Outra Banda and Campos de Água. Precisely in this year, the musical group S.A.R.L. – Sociedade Artística Recreativa Lisbonense with the aim of participating in that year’s Festival with the theme Uma Canção Comercial. The core of this band was composed by Pedro Osório, Samuel and Carlos Alberto Moniz, having had the participation of other elements in the Festivals of Song of 1979, 1980 with Self Made Man and 1982 with Quero Ser Feliz Agora;
With the S.A.R.L. participated in the Festival RTP da Canção 1980 with Self Mad Man, obtaining 4th place.
In 1981 the duo Carlos Moniz and Maria do Amparo returned to the Festival RTP da Canção with the composition Olá Rapariga, Olá;
With the S.A.R.L. returned to the stages of the Festival RTP da Canção 1982 with the song Quero Ser Feliz Agora (4th place);
Still on television and in children’s projects, in 1985, he created the program Zarabadim;
The last time that Carlos Alberto Moniz competed in the Festival RTP da Canção was in 1986 with his band and the song Canção para José da Lata;
In RTP and in 1987, Carlos Alberto Moniz took to this antenna the children’s format Era Uma Vez;
Also on television, but in 1990, Ark of Noah was born, a program dedicated to the youngest.
In the same year, this musician was the orchestrator and orchestra director of the song Semper (there is always someone) that Nucha took to Zagreb, in what was then Yugoslavia, to Eurovision, having directed the grand orchestra of the Eurovision Song Contest;
In 1992 he was the musical director of Júlio Isidro’s Sunday afternoon programs, Sons do Sol (1992/93) where the semifinals of that year’s Festival da Canção took place.
That year he joined the Portuguese delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest, Malmö in Sweden, to direct the orchestra during Dina’s performance in the song Amor d’Água Fresca;
In 1997 he won the Prestige Prize; He signed the co-authorship and musical direction of the magazine Ó Troilaré, Ó Troilará in 1999; He was awarded the Medal of Citizen of Merit of Angra do Heroísmo in 2000;
The President of the Republic, Dr. Jorge Sampaio, distinguished him with the Degree of Commander of the Order of Merit and Excellence in 2003;
In 2005, he co-authored the music for the theatrical production A Revista É Liiinda!, and was also the musical director. In 2006 he continued to dedicate himself to the revue theater with the co-authorship of the music and the musical direction of the production of Já Viram Isto? At the Casino Estoril Lounge, in 2007, Carlos Alberto Moniz has several performances called DUARTELOUNGE dedicated to Azorean popular music.
Portugal Without Borders was a television program started in 2012 on RTP, on Sunday mornings, where Carlos Alberto Moniz had the participation of Diamantina in the conduct of this format that had as target audience the Portuguese spread around the world.
This year, 2020, Carlos Alberto Moniz edits a new CD of originals O Amor Virá Mais Tarde, with a book.
On October 1st, a show commemorating his 50 years of career took place in the Salão Preto e Prata of Casino Estoril, with the participation of his daughter Lúcia Moniz, as well as the presence of Rui Veloso, Silvestre Fonseca, Vitorino, Dani Silva and Samuel.. In this show, a video message from Mr. President of the Republic, Professor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa who congratulated him on his career.
