Toni Tornado

The Brazilian James Brown

Toni Tornado was born Antonio Viana Gomes on May 26, 1930, in a town in the interior of Sao Paulo state; sources give Itororo do Paranapanema, Mirante do Paranapanema and Pirapozinho. Portuguese Wikipedia says his father was of Guyanese descent and his mother Brazilian. He left home as a boy for Rio, selling peanuts and shining shoes, served in the army, including the 1957 UN Suez Canal mission, and in the 1960s performed as Tony Checker, dancing and lip-synching in imitation of Chubby Checker and Little Richard on Jair Taumaturgo's television show. He spent years in New York in the late 1960s and met Tim Maia there. Back in Brazil in 1969, he sang with Ed Lincoln's group as Johnny Bradfort.

In 1970 he won the Brazilian phase of the V Festival Internacional da Cancao with "BR-3" and took the name Tony Tornado. A four-track Odeon single followed in 1970, including "Sou Negro", and the LP B.R.3 (Odeon) in 1971, which sellers call his debut and hard to find. It includes the funk track "O Journaleiro", first issued on 7-inch in 2015 by Brazil 45's. A self-titled LP came out in 1972, later reissued by Vampisoul, and the compilation Compactos 1970-1976 in 2022. Rolling Stone Brasil placed "BR-3" at number 65 on its list of Brazilian songs, crediting it with helping establish soul music in Brazil. In ELLE he said he was the first guy to sing soul in the country.

He also built an acting career, with Os Trapalhoes (1976-87), Pixote (1980), Quilombo (1984), Roque Santeiro (1985-86) and Carcereiros (2017-21). He later led the band Funkessencia and toured with his son Lincoln Tornado. Honors include the Ordem do Merito Cultural, Troféu Raca Negra tributes in 2005 and 2019 and the Troféu Vila Rica at CineOP in 2023. Setlist.fm shows 2023 to 2026 shows, among them SESC Consolacao in Sao Paulo on October 9, 2025.