It’s been 15 years of singer, songwriter and performership for Fort Collins’ Carlos Barata, who has spent the last decade and a half striving to reach his present musical culmination. Having grown up in Pennsylvania, it wasn’t until moving to the Front Range that Barata could count for his “busiest music year yet.” In 2022 he played 75 shows “for audiences in all sorts of environments — public and private events, early morning brunches, late night bars, surprise spots with Sofar Sounds, and more.” This year, Barata will be celebrating the upcoming release of his first album in five years, sprinkling single releases throughout the summer season leading up to the EP’s official debut.
Barata, who lives for the performances and connecting with himself and people in a “very simple and honest way,” can credit his upbringing for the ability to foster that sense of connection. Growing up within a family of Portuguese immigrants, his father and grandfather kept music very central to the household. Outside of the home, his elementary school music teacher and piano instructor was the one to cement music in his life and help him find his voice.”My early years were experimental, dabbling in a lot of instruments, styles, history and influences,” Barata said. “My first instrument was my voice, followed by piano, drum set and all sorts of guitars.” In 2017, Barata lost his father to suicide. At that moment, music became a lifeline.
Bringing his musical training full circle, Barata received his BA in Music and became a board-certified Music Therapist, currently working with children with life-limiting illnesses. This professional career happens in tandem with his music career, and the duality of the two work together to reach people and be a healing force to those Barata can connect with. “Ultimately, music is something I must do because life is too short for so many,” Barata reflected. “It’s how I honor the legacies of my loved ones, your loved ones, and keep them around.”
In his career, Barata has navigated through dreams, doubts, solo projects and bands, “ebbing-and-flowing with my own creative-personal development and a world of influence and inspiration around me.” All of his past experiences have shaped him into a more polished and versatile singer and songwriter, making it the ideal moment for the EP, When I See It. “As Far As The Eye/I Can See” is the first single off the album, released last month, with the second single, “Be Yourself (There’s No One Like You),” coming soon. Overall, the album is about “overcoming limitations, letting go of whatever holds you back and being confident of your convictions,” Barata said.
Of all the influences and inspirations he’s been grateful for in the past 15 years, the future looks bright with the help of Barata’s musical peers and the local music community. In Colorado’s music scene, he feels like “support, resources, and connection are seemingly endless if you’re willing to pursue them and be persistent.” Here, music is not only a business, but an important aspect that builds and fosters culture and community. Having felt challenged to be a more versatile, open-minded, and vulnerable person, Barata finds comfort and confidence in the feeling that wherever he performs, he can “be a person first.”
Listen to Carlos Barata’s single “Be Yourself (There’s No One Like You)” here.