Carla Aparecida Perez Soares da Silva, better known as Carla Perez, is one of Brazil’s most iconic entertainment figures. Born on November 16, 1977, in Salvador, Bahia, she’s the dancer who became synonymous with Brazil’s explosive axé music movement of the 1990s. Now, Carla has successfully reinvented herself from a sensual dancer into a beloved children’s entertainer and influencer with 5 million Instagram followers.
Biography
Carla Perez was born in the working-class Liberdade neighborhood of Salvador, a vibrant area steeped in Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage. Her father, Carlos Soares, worked as an artisan while her mother, Ivone Perez Soares (who has Spanish descent), made ends meet as a street vendor. Growing up as one of five children alongside her siblings Clédson, Júnior, Cleivone, and Cleise, Carla experienced modest circumstances that shaped her determined spirit.
Salvador’s rhythmic street culture naturally sparked her passion for dance from an early age. At just 15, she skipped her traditional “baile de debutante” (quinceañera celebration) to afford a modeling course. That bold decision paid off handsomely when talent scouts discovered her at age 17 in 1995 and invited her to join Gera Samba, the group that would soon become É o Tchan! after legal issues forced a name change.
Her education took place in Salvador, though she prioritized developing her artistic talents over formal higher education. This focus on performance and dance would soon catapult her into the national spotlight.
Career
The É o Tchan! Phenomenon
Carla’s career exploded when she became the “loira do Tchan” (blonde of Tchan), dancing alongside Scheila Carvalho and Edson Cardoso (known as Jacaré). Her energetic choreography, vibrant costumes, and magnetic stage presence transformed her into a national sensation during her three-year tenure with the group.
The commercial success was staggering. In 1996, their album “Na Cabeça e na Cintura” became Brazil’s best-selling album of the year, moving over 2 million copies. They repeated this feat in 1997 with “É o Tchan do Brasil,” another 2 million seller. Carla became a cultural icon and sex symbol, appearing on Playboy Brasil’s cover in 1996 in what became the magazine’s best-selling issue until 1999.
Licensed merchandise flooded Brazilian markets. From costumes to sticker albums to the signature bootie shorts that became her trademark, Carla Perez was everywhere. She departed É o Tchan! in 1998 to explore acting and other personal projects.
Television and Solo Music Career
Her post-É o Tchan! journey took several turns. Film acting didn’t work out as she’d hoped; her semi-biographical debut “Cinderela Baiana” (1998) flopped critically and commercially, and she later disowned it. A cameo in “Xuxa Requebra” (1999) marked the end of her film aspirations.
Television presenting became her more sustainable path. She hosted “Fantasia com Carla Perez” on SBT (1998-1999), which achieved impressive 15 Ibope rating points on its premiere. This was followed by “Canta e Dança, Minha Gente” (1999-2001) and carnival coverage for Band Folia (2003-2008). Her most successful television venture came with “Clube da Alegria” on TV Aratu (2012-2017), a children’s show that cemented her transition to family-friendly entertainment.
Her music releases geared toward younger audiences. Albums like “Algodão-Doce” (2000), “Todos Iguais” (2005), and “Eletro Kids” (2007) targeted children and families rather than the adult audience that first knew her.
Bloco Algodão Doce and Philanthropy
Carla’s most enduring legacy may be Bloco Algodão Doce, the children’s carnival block she founded in 2000. The block won “Hors Concours” status at the prestigious Dodô & Osmar Awards as best children’s block for ten consecutive years. In 2018, it evolved into “Trio Pipoca Doce,” a cordless format that maintained its inclusive spirit by welcoming children with special needs and those from philanthropic institutions.
In February 2025, Carla announced she would end her 25-year run commanding the block after the 2026 Salvador Carnival, where she’ll lead one final celebration under the theme “Sonho de Criança” (Child’s Dream).
Personal Life
Carla married Harmonia do Samba vocalist Xanddy (full name: Manuel Alexandre Oliveira da Silva) on October 25, 2001, not in 1998 as sometimes incorrectly reported. She was seven months pregnant at their wedding, which drew 700 guests to Costa do Sauípe, Bahia. The couple met at one of Xanddy’s shows in 2000, when he was still an up-and-coming artist. He famously recalls: “She got me when I was still a nobody. I had a pair of underwear and a green Corsa.”
Their marriage has proven remarkably stable in an industry notorious for relationship turmoil. In October 2024, they celebrated 23 years together with a trip to Thailand’s Phi Phi Islands. In October 2025, they renewed their vows at a Las Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator officiating, adding a touch of fun to their milestone anniversary.
The couple has two children, not three as sometimes reported. Their daughter Camilly Victória, born December 23, 2001, is now 23 and has forged her own entertainment path as singer “Millz,” performing R&B and pop singles. She boasts over 1 million Instagram followers, and her parents have publicly supported her same-sex relationships. Their son Victor Alexandre, born December 20, 2003, is now 21 and studies Kinesiology and Nutrition in the United States. He recently competed in his first professional bodybuilding competition in late 2024, winning four categories and earning over 300,000 Instagram followers.
The family has maintained dual residence between Brazil and Orlando, Florida since 2016, where they purchased property in 2013.
Net Worth
Celebrity wealth sites estimate Carla Perez’s net worth at $5–10 million USD, though no figure has been independently verified. Brazilian sources speculate that combined family wealth, including Xanddy’s earnings from his band and business ventures, exceeds R$50 million (approximately $8–10 million USD).
Her confirmed income streams include television presenting fees from her various shows between 1998 and 2017, music royalties from her children’s albums, ownership of Bloco Algodão Doce and Trio Pipoca Doce over 25 years, Instagram influencer partnerships leveraging her 5 million followers, and live carnival performances. Xanddy’s production company HS Produções and music label Muralha Records contribute to family wealth but operate as his separate enterprises.
Recent developments include a November 2024 reconciliation with former É o Tchan! colleague Compadre Washington after 27 years following their 1997 dispute, and an August 2024 peace-making with singer Simony after a decades-old disagreement over mutual ex Alexandre Pires.