DJ Marlboro

Fernando Luís Mattos da Matta, better known by his stage name DJ Marlboro, is a Brazilian singer, DJ, and composer. He was born on January 3, 1963, in the city of Rio de Janeiro He is credited with pioneering the musical style known as funk carioca, a fusion of hip hop, electro, and Brazilian popular music. His career began in 1980, playing music at a club called New Saveiro in Lagoinha. His national recognition grew after winning the Campeonato Brasileiro de DJs in 1989. That same year, he released his debut album Funk Brasil (1989), which sold over 250,000 copies. In the early 1990s, DJ Marlboro was responsible for launching the highly successful funk group Copacabana Beat. In 1994 he released the album Funk Brasil Especial, hitting number 1 in the country's charts. That same year, he collaborated on several tracks from singer Latino's album Marcas de Amor. Through the years he kept releasing singles and albums, many through his own record label. Since 2002, his radio program Big Mix has been a leader in Brazilian radio audiences. DJ Marlboro gained international attention when he performed at New York's Central Park during the Summer Stage festival in 2003, becoming the first DJ invited to perform in the festival's history. 2006 saw the release of "Ela So Pensa em Beijar," a highly successful collaboration with Leozinho. A remix of the track was included in his 2020 album Funk Brasil 08 Bem Funk by DJ Marlboro, which included reimagined versions of some of his biggest hits.