My first time seeing Roberto Carlos was at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, in 2012, and I had no idea what to expect.
I knew he was called O Rei…“The King”…and that in Brazil he’s revered the way Americans revere Elvis Presley. I knew he had collaborated with Jennifer Lopez, and that songs like "Chegaste" drifted out of our kitchen on Saturday nights while Claudia cooked, music that quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, became part of our lives.
But I didn’t truly understand him until I saw him.
Here was a man who has carried a career from the 1960s to today, still touring at 85 (feliz aniversário, Rei!), still filling theaters and arenas, still the center of the famously sold-out Roberto Carlos “Beyond the Horizon” cruise.
I fell in love with his voice and his songs, but even more with what he meant to my Brazilian family.
At some point, it became about more than me. I wanted to capture something, create something, for my mother-in-law, her favorite song, O Concavo e o Convexo the one that meant everything to her. Capturing it o video and sending it to her so it was almost like she was with us. Because even herself at 80, she had never seen The King in concert… and we weren’t sure she ever would.
My favorite part of every show? The rose toss.
It’s pure Elvis. Pure Vegas. At his age, an octogenarian who still has women of all ages losing their minds, eating out of the palm of his hand. At the end of each concert, an assistant brings out armfuls of red roses. The first few rows, and then farther back, as ambitious fans rush the stage, become a frenzy, everyone reaching for a single rose (sometimes more).
And yes, I was the gringo at every show, pushing forward in my seat. I needed that rose. I had promised my wife.
In the end, the best moment wasn’t mine.
At our last show, I came the closest. Third-row seats at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., in 2022. One of the few men in the crowd, I was pointing to my wife. I think Roberto saw my desperation, because when our eyes locked, I knew the next rose was coming my way. I even have the photo that captures the moment.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
The throw was perfect, it hit my wife’s seat… and bounced straight into someone else’s hands.
As we were leaving, a young girl, maybe noticing my disappointment, or my wife’s, peeled off a petal from her rose and handed it to her.
My mother-in-law did get to see The King. We found three tickets at a small, intimate venue called Vivo Rio, and she had the time of her life. We all did. It was one of those nights that became legendary.
Moments like that make the loss of a rose seem so unimportant. A rose’s life is fleeting, but the memories remain.
Next time, King!
My beloved Mother in Law, Simy and Claudia after the show as The King continues to throw out roses to fans