Highlights
- Excesso was the first and most famous Portuguese boy band of all time, comprising Gonzo, Duck, Melão, João Portugal and Carlos Ribeiro
- Carlos was the first member to leave Excesso and two months later the group disbanded (1997-1999)
- All the Excesso boys still live in Portugal, except Carlos: João Portugal is a photographer, Gonzo is a DJ, Melão is a choreographer, and Duck works in sales
- Carlos has lived in Australia for 12 years now, and he is an executive housekeeping manager based in Brisbane
- He still sings and composes music but only as a hobby
Billed as Portugal's Backstreet Boys or Take That, Excesso only lasted as a band for three years (from 1997 to 1999), but many fans still know all their songs by heart.
Alongside bandmates Gonzo, Duck, Melão and João Portugal, Carlos was often described as the ‘less crazy one’.
Gonzo, Melão, João Portugal, Carlos and Duck, in the mid-90s, at the top of their career in Excess Source: PolyGram / Universal
“We had an average of more than 200 concerts a year, about three shows a week. It was non-stop, between travelling, interviews, hotels, television appearances, rehearsals, autograph signings,” he recalls.
For this reason, it was also a period of great "ups and downs" among the band members.
“We were all very young, and we lived on top of each other in cars, on stages, in hotels, and at rehearsals. It was a lot of pressure, and everything counts for the 'bag' of the relationship.”
But Carlos says he has the best memories of Excesso.
It was crazy to be part of the first and most successful Portuguese boy band and one of the groups that sold the most records in the country.
In the 1990s, when Excesso filled concert hall after concert hall, he says they always put their "heart and soul" into their work.
“Whether we jumped at the Coliseu de Lisboa [one of the most prestigious stages in Portugal] or jumped on stage in a small village in the countryside, we always gave everything Excess had to give.
Excesso was the first Portuguese boyband and one of the bands with the most records sold in Portugal so far. Source: PolyGram / Universal
“Even under extreme pressure and fatigue, we overcame all difficulties and got along well. We had a good relationship, and we still keep in touch today,” he says.
To this day many Portuguese fans still question why Carlos was the first to leave Excesso.
But he assures that, although it was one of the most difficult decisions he has ever made, there were good reasons to give up and leave his mates and stardom behind.
“I felt exploited by the music production companies, record companies and even media, to whom we gave incredible audiences and big money without ever having a fair return other than emotional damage. Journalists, for example, treated us as if we were objects.”
Carlos confesses that his decision to withdraw from fame was not easy. However, he says:
I left Excesso to be a happier person. And I am happier indeed.
Carlos left behind thousands of fans, a successful music career and fame. Today, he is a Portuguese emigrant in Australia who is happy enjoying the Australian Source: supplied/Carlos Ribeiro
He considers himself "a hard-working, respectful and strong man".
“I am an itinerant person who dared to live far from Portugal, my family and my friends, as an immigrant in Australia,” he says, adding, "My most incredible pride, before being Australian, is being Portuguese."
Twelve years after arriving in Melbourne for the first time, Carlos is very much rooted in Australian life and culture.
He arrived in Australia with a temporary visa to work in hotel management and tourism, the area in which he completed a degree while still in Portugal and before joining Excesso.
Soon after, he got a sponsorship visa.
Despite still playing and singing at home with his instruments and sound equipment, Carlos Ribeiro is fully invested in his career in the hotel industry. Source: supplied/Carlos Ribeiro
At 48 years old, Carlos still works in hospitality as an executive housekeeping manager today.
After living in Melbourne for a decade, where he says he has "many friends", Carlos confesses that it was tough to overcome the hospitality crisis during the three consecutive lockdowns in Victoria.
"I left Victoria and came to Queensland because of COVID-19. I survived the first confinement, then the second confinement... and halfway through the third, I thought: ‘this can't go on like this’. That's when I accepted a job offer in Brisbane,” he explains.
He may be far from the hallowed stage of the Coliseu de Lisboa, but Carlos is embracing his lifestyle down under.
“Here I am between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, where I work 6-7 days a week. I live as healthy a life as I can in my spare time, doing karate and bodyboarding and enjoying time with my friends on the beach."
