Carlinhos has had a wide-ranging career as a percussionist, appearing in Brazilian films, on Brazilian television, and performing around the world with Herbie Mann, Sergio Mendes, Sadao Watanabe, Ed Thigpen, Toots Thielemans, Martinho da Vila, Beth Carvalho, Maria Bethania, and many more.
In May 2008, Misia joined Sadao Watanabe, Juanes, Youssou N'Dour, and Bono for the 'One For All' event on May 29, 2008 for 1,500 in Yokohama, Japan.
There, he played with several important musicians of the jazz scene, including Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny, Sadao Watanabe, Larry Coryell, Fred Hersh, Larry Willis, Joe Diorio, John Hicks, Steve Slagle, Victor Lewis, Don Salvador and Charlie Rouse.
Sadao Watanabe | Watanabe Entertainment | Sadao Watanabe (musician) | Sadao | Shinichi Watanabe | Kazumi Watanabe | Ken Watanabe | Takeo Watanabe | Hiroshi Watanabe | Akio Watanabe | Yuuya Watanabe | Watanabe Tokutarō | Watanabe Productions | Shunsuke Watanabe | Osamu Watanabe | Mamoru Watanabe | Makoto Sei Watanabe | Kazumi Watanabe (sport shooter) | Katsuaki Watanabe |
As a musician, he has played and recorded with artists such as Dave Matthews and Carlos Santana ("Supernatural"), Celine Dion ("Falling Into You" and "These are Special Times"), Michael and Randy Brecker (4 years on the road, 7 CDs), Chaka Khan ("The Woman I Am"), Richard Bona (phenom from Cameroon), Chris Minh Doky, Sadao Watanabe, Grover Washington, Jr., Till Brönner ("Midnight") and other well-known artists.
Other associations include touring or recording with Aretha Franklin, Sting, Spike Lee, James Brown, Billy Cobham, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Philip Glass, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Don Sebesky, Sadao Watanabe, Hubert Laws, Randy Brecker, David Sanborn and Terence Blanchard.
Sadao Watanabe worked in the mingei (folk art) tradition, synthesizing Buddhist figure portrayal and Western Christianity in his unique Biblical prints.