Thiago Raphael Castanho was born in Santos, São Paulo on February 8, 1975, and would learn how to play the guitar with 13 years old, encouraged by a sister. Around 1988 he began performing in his first musical groups, meeting his future Charlie Brown Jr. bandmate André Pinguim through one of them. In 1992 he was invited by Chorão to join his project What's Up, which would later evolve to become Charlie Brown Jr.; Castanho took part on the recording of the band's first three albums, with the final one, Nadando com os Tubarões, awarding them their first nomination to a Latin Grammy Award for Best Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album. However, Castanho was growing tired of Charlie Brown Jr.'s extensive touring schedule, and left them one year after the album's release. Following his departure from Charlie Brown Jr., Castanho formed the band Aliados 13, with whom he recorded two albums: the self-titled Aliados 13A Dose Certa ; he also founded his own recording studio, Digital Grooves, in Santos, and was invited to take part in band Ira!'s Acústico MTVlive album as a guest musician. Following a major re-shuffle on Charlie Brown Jr.'s line-up in 2005, Castanho accepted an invitation to return to the band; during his second tenure with them, he co-produced the albumRitmo, Ritual e Responsa alongside Chorão, and cameod as himself in the 2007 filmO Magnata, written and co-produced by Chorão. He remained with the band until 2013, when it ended following Chorão's death due to a cocaine overdose. Soon afterwards, he and remaining Charlie Brown Jr. members Champignon, Marcão and Bruno Graveto teamed up with Lena Papini to form A Banca, described as a "tribute act/spiritual successor" to Charlie Brown Jr.; they released a single, "O Novo Passo", in August, before splitting up as well due to the suicide of Champignon one month later. In 2014 he teamed up with former NX Zero vocalist Yuri Nishida to form O Legado; they split up one year later due to Nishida's other commitments. Around the same time Castanho was invited by Capital Inicial's vocalist Dinho Ouro Preto to be a guest musician on their Acústico NYC DVD, recorded at a performance in New York City. In late 2019 he was a guest musician on the song "Nosso Lugar", by funk singer MC Kevin. Outside of his musical career, Castanho is also a painter and a sculptor; in 2013 he organized his first exhibition of sculptures in acrylic in São Paulo.
Controversies
On July 21, 2013, while travelling to Manaus for a performance with A Banca, an elderly woman accused Castanho of sexual harassment inside the airplane. After a discussion, the musician headed to the Federal Police to give his statement; his bandmates later confirmed that he wasn't arrested. In 2019 he was a vehement critic of Charlie Brown Jr.'s return with guest vocalists, stating that "the band can't exist without Chorão".
