Carlos de Oliveira, better known as Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro,[1] is a Brazilian percussionist best known for playing the pandeiro, a tunable tambourine, played with a different technique than in North American music,[2] and is one of the instrument's major proponents.

With this recognition, Carlinhos represented Brazil in performances before the Japanese royal family, the Swedish royal family, and also in a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of England.

[3] Carlinhos has had a wide-ranging career as a percussionist, appearing in Brazilian films, on Brazilian television, and performing around the world with artists including Herbie Mann, Sergio Mendes, Sadao Watanabe, Ed Thigpen, Toots Thielemans, Martinho da Vila, Beth Carvalho, and Maria Bethânia.

Carlinhos lives in Los Angeles, performing[4] nationally and teaching locally,[5] at the 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica.

He is a recipient of awards from the Durfee Foundation, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, and the Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles.