Cabelo was born in Cachoeira de Itapemirim, at the southern part of the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, in 1967. He moved to Rio de Janeiro as a boy where he spent his childhood and youth practicing sports such as soccer, jiu-jitsu, surfing and skateboarding. Through skateboard he got interested in punk rock scene and consequently to the do-it-yourself (DIY) subculture, that influenced his artistic expression. He quit the engineering school to raise earthworm. The contact with the alchemical power of these annelids by transforming waste into humus, greatly influences his thinking. During this time, he got sick by an infestation of worms and returned to the city for treatment. In his recovery, he has contact with the poetry of Ferreira Gullar, Paulo Leminski, among others, so on being inoculated by the poetry virus. After that, he dedicated himself to art and music as poetic manifestations.
His work gained notoriety in 1996, when he participated in the collective exhibition Antarctica Artes promoted by Folha de S.Paulo, which was responsible for the dissemination of several artists of his generation. The following year, he participated in the Documenta X in Kassel with the controversy artwork Cephalopod Heptópode, setting a fire an aquarium with live fish.
Cabelo showed works in individual exhibitions, such as: Da Banalidade (The Banality) - Tomie Ohtake Institute, SP (2016), Humúsica - MAM / RJ (2012), Nas Asas do Escaravelho Verde Ouro (On the wings of the Green Gold Scarab) - Marília Razuk Gallery, SP (2008); Myanmar Miroir, The Corridor, Art Positions - Miami Art Basel (2006); Imediações de Monte Basura (Surroundings of Monte Basura) - Center D'art Santa Monica, Barcelona (2005). The collective exhibitions are: Mercosul Biennial, Porto Alegre (2009); From Near, De Perto, De Longe (Close up, Far) - Liceu de Artes e Ofícios, São Paulo (2008); 26th São Paulo International Biennial (2004); How Latitudes Become Forms: Art in a Global Age - Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, USA; Violence and Passion - MAM / RJ (2003); Cote à Cote, Art Contemporain du Brésil - CAPC Contemporary Art Museum, Bordeaux, France (2001).
In the 90s, he formed with other poets the band Boato, the performance were known for their mixture of rhythms with poetic and experimental fervor. In this period he released the CD Abracadabra by Dubas/Warner. In 2011 he presented the exhibition Cabelo presents: MC Fininho and DJ Barbante in Baile Funk (Gentil) Carioca, incorporating the character MC Fininho. For this performance, he invited producers to work on his funk compositions, among them Kassin, Sany Pitbull, Lucas Santtana and others. MC Fininho also performed in June 2012 at the Back to Black Festival in London with Sany Pitbull and dancers of the passinho battle.
In many of his works, improvised music with a microphone or a band on stage is part of his performance. In collaboration with other musicians, he made soundtracks that are pieces of installations such as Caixa Preta with Paulo Vivacqua - rap mix of criminal factions voiced by Glauber Rocha and Hélio Oiticica and Myanmar miroir, the corridor with Leo Saad.
As a composer, he has songs recorded by Monobloco, Ney Matogrosso, Pedro Luis e A Parede, Cidade Negra, Oswaldo Pereira, among others. Lately, he is recording a solo CD to be released in 2017.
