Leo de Castro
| Leo de Castro | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kiwi Leo de Castro Kino |
| Born | ca. 1948 Benneydale, King Country, North Island, New Zealand |
| Origin | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Genres | Funk, soul, country, rock, blues, progressive rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1968–1995 |
| Labels | Big Beat |
| Associated acts |
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Leo de Castro (born C. 1948 Kiwi Leo de Castro Kino, Benneydale, New Zealand) is a funk and soul singer-guitarist. From 1969 to 1995 he worked in Australia in a variety of bands before returning to Auckland. He has contributed to Rocco (1976), as a member of Johnny Rocco Band; Voodoo Soul – Live at The Basement (October 1987), by Leo de Castro and Friends; a live album, Long White Clouds (2007), which had been recorded in January 1988 using two separate backing bands, The Dancehall Racketeers and Roger Janes Band.
De Castro's vocals feature on the singles, "Wichita Lineman" (January 1971) by King Harvest, "Heading in the Right Direction" (August 1975) by Johnny Rocco Band, "Suspicious Minds" (June 1979) by Leo de Castro and Babylon. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described him as a "permanent fixture of the pub/concert/festival circuit and was praised for his vocal abilities" as "one of the best soul singers working in Australia" during the 1970s. By 2008 de Castro was performing in a Tasmanian pub band, periodically he returned to New Zealand.
Leo de Castro was born as Kiwi Leo de Castro Kino in Benneydale, King Country, New Zealand. He was named after the Brazilian doctor who delivered him. In 1966, with his family, he moved to Auckland where he started his career in the local club scene. During 1968, for six months, he was the lead singer of Dallas Four and provided a "soul style about his singing".
De Castro relocated to Sydney in 1969 and joined The Browns alongside Ray Arnott on drums (ex-Chelsea Set), Ronnie Peel on bass guitar (The Missing Links, The Pleazers, Rockwell T. James and the Rhythm Aces) and Les Stacpool on guitar (Chessmen, Merv Benton and the Tamlas). The Browns also backed Bernadette O'Neill, another singer, and were alternately billed as Leo and The Browns or Bernadette and The Browns. Later that year he formed Leo and Friends with John Capek on piano, Rob MacKenzie on guitar (see MacKenzie Theory), Kevin Murphy on drums (ex-Wild Cherries) and Jeremy Noone on saxophone (see Sons of the Vegetal Mother). The group disbanded early in the following year.
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