Carlos do Carmo

Carlos do Carmo
Carlos do Carmo in 2007
Carlos do Carmo in 2007
Background information
Birth nameCarlos Manuel de Ascenção do Carmo de Almeida
Born(1939-12-21)21 December 1939[1]
Lisbon, Portugal
Died1 January 2021(2021-01-01) (aged 81)
Lisbon, Portugal
GenresFado
Occupation(s)Singer
Years active1964–2020
LabelsUniversal Music

Carlos Manuel de Ascenção do Carmo de Almeida ComIH (21 December 1939 – 1 January 2021), better known as Carlos do Carmo, was a Portuguese fado singer.

The son of Lucília do Carmo, a well-known fadista, do Carmo began his career in fado following his father's death in 1962, when he returned from a period in Switzerland to help his mother run the family's fado house. He began singing himself shortly afterwards and, in 1963, he began his career as a recording artist. He continued working at the fado house for a number of years, while also expanding his recording career.[2] He achieved national and international success in the 1970s, including performances at the Royal Opera House in London and the Paris Olympia. He represented Portugal at the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with his song "Uma flor de verde pinho", finishing in 12th place.

Carmo introduced new styles to fado, including the addition of orchestras, and the incorporation of other styles such as jazz into the traditional music.

Early life

Carlos do Carmo grew up in Lisbon. His mother was Lucília do Carmo, a fado singer who experienced success in the 1920s.[3] He first left Lisbon in his youth, on the advice of his parents, to study languages and hotel management in Switzerland.[4] But, with the death of his father Alfredo de Almeida in 1962, do Carmo soon joined his mother to help her run their fado house, the Faia.[5] Encouraged by his friends' response to his singing, do Carmo soon began to perform at the fado house.[2]

Career

Do Carmo performing at Eurovision Song Contest 1976.
Do Carmo performs at Eurovision Song Contest 1976.

Do Carmo's career thrived in the 1970s, when he released several of his most well-known songs and collaborated with a number of opponents to the Estado Novo regime, such as Fernando Tordo, Paulo de Carvalho and the poet Ary dos Santos.[6] Following the Carnation Revolution, fado saw its place as the Portuguese national music threatened by the emergence of canção de intervenção, a term encompassing Portuguese protest songs. Fado also started to lose exposure on the radio and on television; according to musicologist Rui Vieira Nery [pt], do Carmo was an exception to this trend, because of his connection to "sectors of the democratic opposition".[7]

In 1976, in the first Festival da Canção after the revolution, the organizers of the contest tried to emulate A Song for Europe's method of national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. The procedure employed by their British counterparts consisted of choosing a single artist who would perform all the songs in the contest.[8] Do Carmo was chosen as the only singer of that year's Festival da Canção and the winner of the contest was the song "Uma flor de verde pinho". Later that year, he represented his country at the Eurovision Song Contest with the same song,[9] finishing in 12th place.[8]

In 1977, do Carmo released Um Homem na Cidade (transl. A Man in the City), a concept album featuring an array of poems about Lisbon by Ary dos Santos.[9] The album became one of the greatest successes of do Carmo's long career,[10] and was described by Nery as being "one of the most significant albums in the whole fado discography".[9] Um Homem na Cidade evinced a new, innovative style of fado.[11] Its lyrics, while not necessarily supportive of the revolution, referenced current affairs of the time.[12]

While fado remained at the core of his music, do Carmo was influenced, among other styles and musicians, by Frank Sinatra; French pop, including the work of Jacques Brel; and Brazilian bossa nova, including the work of Elis Regina.[13][14] (He performed with Regina on a trip to Brazil in 1973.[5]) His uniqueness, apart from the special timbre of his voice, is in his ability to bring composers from other styles such as jazz, as well as adding the orchestra to fado music. This is seen in his albums such as Um Homem na Cidade.[3]

In 1984, he recorded Um Homem no País, which was the first CD ever recorded in Portugal.[15] He worked closely with other fado singers such as Mariza and Camané, and nurtured their development.[16] His career included performances at the Royal Albert Hall, The Town Hall in New York City,[13] Paris Olympia, Frankfurt's Alte Oper, and the Canecão in Rio de Janeiro. His classics include "Bairro alto", ""Lisboa, menina e moça",[17] "Canoas do tejo", "Os putos"[17] and "Por morrer uma andorinha".[18] In 2019, do Carmo announced his retirement from live performances.[19]

Personal life and death

In 1964 he married Maria Judite de Sousa Leal.[20] He had three children.[2]

Carlos do Carmo died on 1 January 2021 at Lisbon's Hospital de Santa Maria, aged 81. He had been admitted to the hospital the previous day after having an aneurysm.[1] A national day of mourning was declared on 4 January.[21]

Legacy

Carlos do Carmo is considered to be the most important male fadista of his generation, that came after Alfredo Marceneiro and before Camané. He is often regarded as the artist that made the transition between traditional fado and the new fado that started emerging in the 1990s.[6]

Discography

Sources:[22]

  • Fado em Tom Maior (1964)[23]
  • Não Se Morre de Saudade (1967)[24]
  • Carlos do Carmo (1970)[25]
  • No Curto-Circuito (1970)[26]
  • Canoas do Tejo (1972)[27]
  • Uma Canção para a Europa (1973)[28]
  • Por Morrer uma Andorinha (1973)[29]
  • Ao Vivo na Ópera de Frankfurt (Alte Oper Frankfurt) (1983)[30]
  • Fado Lisboa – An Evening at The "Faia" (with Lucília do Carmo, 1974)[31]
  • Um Homem na Cidade (1977)[32]
  • Dez Fados Vividos (1978)[33]
  • Um Homem no País (1983)[34]
  • Um Homem no Mundo (1983)[35]
  • Mais do Que Amor É Amar (1986)[36]
  • Que Se Fez Homem de Cantar (1990)[37]
  • Ao Vivo no CCB (1999)[38]
  • Margens (1999)[39]
  • Nove fados e uma canção de amor (2002)[40]
  • Do Tempo do Vinil (2003)[41]
  • Ao Vivo – Coliseu dos Recreios – Lisboa (2004)[42]
  • A Arte e a Música de Carlos do Carmo (2006)[43]
  • À Noite (2007)[44]
  • Carlos do Carmo & Bernardo Sassetti (2010)[45]
  • Maria João Pires / Carlos do Carmo (with Maria João Pires, 2012)[46]
  • Fado É Amor (2013)[47]

Awards and honors

Carlos do Carmo was awarded a Portuguese Golden Globe in 1998 and a Goya Award in 2008.[19] In 2014, he became the first Portuguese artist to win a Latin Grammy Award, being awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Latin Recording Academy.[10][48] In 1997, he was named a commander of the Order of Prince Henry; in 2016, he became a member of the Order of Merit.[5][19] In 2019, he received the Medalha de Mérito Cultural [pt].[49]

References

  1. ^ a b Vieira, Rita Sousa (1 January 2021). "Morreu Carlos do Carmo, o homem que deu voz ao fado novo". SAPO 24 (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Carlos do Carmo". MuseuDoFado.pt. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b Arcos, Betto (9 April 2019). "At 78, Carlos Do Carmo, The 'Sinatra Of Fado,' Makes His New York Debut". NPR. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Carlos do Carmo, a fado ambassador, died at 81". Time24. 1 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Martins, Iúri (1 January 2021). "Carlos do Carmo, um filho do fado que dele fez vida". Correio da Manhã (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b Mourinha, Jorge (14 August 2013). "Fados vividos". Público (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  7. ^ "25 Abril: E o fado sobreviveu à revolução". Blitz (in Portuguese). 21 April 2014. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  8. ^ a b Lopes, Diogo (3 March 2018). "Um homem, oito músicas e dois partidos: 1976 e as histórias do mais insólito Festival da Canção" (in Portuguese). Observador. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  9. ^ a b c Elliott 2010.
  10. ^ a b "Carlos do Carmo é o primeiro português a conquistar um Grammy". Blitz (in Portuguese). 1 July 2014. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  11. ^ Côrte-Real 1996, p. 164.
  12. ^ Côrte-Real 1996, p. 166.
  13. ^ a b Demony, Catarina. "Carlos do Carmo, the 'Sinatra' of Portugal's fado, dies aged 81". Reuters. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  14. ^ Barros, João (1 January 2021). "Morreu o fadista Carlos do Carmo aos 81 anos". Jornal Económico (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  15. ^ "PERSONALIDADES: Carlos do Carmo". MuseuDoFado.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Carlos do Carmo Biography". Wrasse Records Ltd. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  17. ^ a b "Morreu o fadista Carlos do Carmo (1939-2021)". Expresso (in European Portuguese). 1 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  18. ^ "Morreu o fadista Carlos do Carmo. Cerimónias fúnebres na segunda-feira". dn.pt (in Portuguese). 1 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  19. ^ a b c "Carlos do Carmo anuncia que vai abandonar os palcos". Blitz (in Portuguese). 7 February 2019. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  20. ^ Micael, Manuela (1 January 2021). "Carlos do Carmo, o embaixador do fado". IOL.PT (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Carlos do Carmo. Governo decreta um dia de luto nacional para segunda-feira". Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 1 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  22. ^ "Discography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  23. ^ "Fado em Tom Maior". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Album Não Se Morre de Saudade, Carlos do Carmo" (in Italian). MTV Italy. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Tecla Gets Best Record Award". Billboard. 83 (16): 50. 17 April 1971. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Carlos do Carmo no Curto-Circuito, EP Tecla, 1970". MuseuDoFado.pt. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Canoas do Tejo (Remastered)". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Uma Canção para a Europa (Remastered)". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Por Morrer Uma Andorinha". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Ao Vivo Na Ópera De Frankfurt (Alte Oper Frankfurt) [Live]". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Fado Lisboa - An Evening At The "Faia"". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Um Homem Na Cidade". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  33. ^ "Dez Fados Vividos". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  34. ^ "Um Homem No País". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Um Homem No Mundo". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Mais Do Que Amor É Amar". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  37. ^ "Que Se Fez Homem de Cantar". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  38. ^ "Ao Vivo No CCB". Spotify. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  39. ^ "Margens". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Nove Fados E Uma Canção De Amor". Spotify. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  41. ^ "Do Tempo Do Vinil". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  42. ^ "Ao Vivo - Coliseu dos Recreios - Lisboa". Spotify. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  43. ^ "Album A Arte E A Música de Carlos Do Carmo, Carlos Carmo". Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  44. ^ "À Noite". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  45. ^ "Carlos Do Carmo & Bernardo Sassetti - Carlos Do Carmo & Bernardo Sassetti [CD] 2013 [50 ANOS]". Amazon. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  46. ^ Scotney, Sebastian. "CD Review: Maria João Pires / Carlos do Carmo – Maria João Pires / Carlos do Carmo". London Jazz News. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  47. ^ "Fado É Amor (Deluxe Edition)". Apple Music. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  48. ^ Pacheco, Nuno (1 July 2014). "Academia Latina distingue Carlos do Carmo com Grammy pela sua obra". Público (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  49. ^ "Decreto n.º 1/2021" (in Portuguese). Government of Portugal. 1 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.

Sources

  • Côrte-Real, Maria de São José (1996). "Sons de Abril: estilos musicais e movimentos de intervenção político-cultural na Revolução de 1974". Revista portuguesa de musicologia (in Portuguese). 6: 141–172.
  • Elliott, Richard (2010). "Taking Place: the Role of the City in Fado". Fado and the Place of Longing: Loss, Memory and the City. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited. pp. 85–86. doi:10.4324/9781315094175. ISBN 978-1138246867.

External links

  • Media related to Carlos do Carmo at Wikimedia Commons
  • Carlos do Carmo at AllMusic
  • Carlos do Carmo discography at Discogs
  • Carlos do Carmo at IMDb
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest
1976 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carlos_do_Carmo&oldid=1206312378"