João Carvalho
Mastering Engineer
Born in São Miguel, Azores.
Lived in Montreal and Windsor.
Based in Toronto.
I feel really fortunate for having a Portuguese background. It’s opened my ears up to this whole Brazilian style and Latin style of music, which is not really all that common here. And that brings along so many different types of sound – João Carvalho.
With a list of clients that includes legendary Canadian bands such as The Tragically Hip, Rush, Sloan, Blue Rodeo and many more, the Micaelense João Carvalho is one of the best mastering engineers in Canada. His work is featured on over 2,000 albums, including some Grammy winners. He has also worked with multiple Portuguese-Canadian artists such as Shawn Mendes, Matthew Tavares, Marito Marques, and Ménage.
Biography
João Carvalho was born in São Miguel, Azores. He immigrated with his family to Canada in 1967 at the age of three. They joined his father in Montreal, who had left soon after João was born. Four years later, the Carvalhos moved to Windsor, Ontario, where there was a small Portuguese community. His mother was a seamstress and his father worked at the Ford Motor Company until the late 1980s. Growing up close to Detroit offered João the opportunity to watch major rock bands live on a weekly basis. His love for music grew when his brother taught him how to play guitar and later when he started a rock band.
At the age of 21, João and the other members of his band decided to move to Toronto to improve their chances of success. João became fascinated with the mastering process during their recording sessions at small studios. One of the engineers, Jamie Stanley, was the first to teach him the craft. They eventually became partners at the studio called Umbrella Sound.
Later, João opened his own recording studio, Revolution Recording and mastering company. According to him, he was able to get a loan to start his business because he had a letter of reference from The Tragically Hip’s lead singer Gord Downie, of whom the bank manager was a fan. Throughout his career, João has worked with multiple major Canadian and American musicians, including Rush, Sloan, Blue Rodeo, Smashing Pumpkins, and Olivia Newton-John, among others. He has worked on over 2,000 albums, including up to fifty Grammy-winning songs. He has also worked with multiple Toronto-based Portuguese-Canadian artists, such as Shawn Mendes, Matthew Tavares, Marito Marques, and Ménage. João has also designed his own signature sound compressor.
Hora dos Portugueses