Carolina Parra
As the guitarist and drummer for CSS, she helped inject Brazilian indie with a playful, electro-punk energy that crossed continents.
Born 1978 (age 48)·Brazilian musician·Birthday: November 16·Generation X
Biography
Carolina Parra joined CSS in 2004 for the Tim Festival gig, becoming the multi-instrumentalist engine of a group redefining Brazilian cool. On guitar and drums, she helped craft a sound blending punk rawness with electronic beats. The breakout track 'Music Is My Hot Hot Sex' became an international anthem, landing them on late-night TV and festival stages worldwide. Her stage presence—smiling behind her drum kit or shredding a riff—embodied the band's DIY spirit and infectious joy, proving São Paulo's underground could produce global pop phenomena.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Carolina was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carolina Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Carolina's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Performed as a core member of CSS at their breakthrough Tim Festival gig in 2004, a pivotal moment for the band.
- Contributed to CSS's internationally successful debut album 'Cansei de Ser Sexy,' which charted in several countries.
- Toured globally with CSS, including performances on major platforms like 'Late Show with David Letterman.'
Did You Know?
She is also a visual artist and has designed merchandise and artwork for CSS.
Parra was a member of the Brazilian band Dominatrix before joining CSS.
CSS's name is a Portuguese phrase meaning 'tired of being sexy,' taken from a quote by Beyoncé.
“We wanted to make music that was fun and made people dance.”
