Carlos do Carmo
Who is Carlos do Carmo?
Carlos Alberto do Carmo Almeida (Lisbon, December 21, 1939 – 2021), known professionally as Carlos do Carmo, was a Portuguese singer who took fado to an international level rarely reached by the genre. He was the son of the celebrated fado singer Lucília do Carmo and Alfredo de Almeida, a hotelier and bookseller. As a young man he studied hotel management in Switzerland before devoting himself fully to music, beginning his artistic career in 1964.
Career
He represented Portugal at the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with “Flor de verde pinho,” based on a poem by Manuel Alegre. Among his most celebrated songs are “Os putos,” “Um homem na cidade,” “Canoas do Tejo,” “Lisboa menina e moça,” “Duas lágrimas de orvalho” and “Bairro Alto.” He also recorded a Portuguese-language version of Joan Manuel Serrat’s “El drapaire,” included on his album “Canoas do Tejo” (1972), and with “Um homem no país” he became the first Portuguese artist to release an album on CD.
In 2007 he appeared in Carlos Saura’s film “Fados,” alongside other major Portuguese and Brazilian artists such as Mariza, Camané and Caetano Veloso, and gave concerts in Madrid, Valladolid and Santiago de Compostela to mark its release. For the film’s soundtrack he won the Goya Award for Best Original Song with “Fado da saudade.”
Recognition
Carlos do Carmo served as an ambassador for Portuguese music and culture on stages worldwide, from the Olympia in Paris to the Canecão in Rio de Janeiro, as well as Frankfurt, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen and São Paulo. He was named an honorary citizen of Rio de Janeiro, received Portugal’s Golden Globe award and a lifetime achievement award from the Portuguese Society of Authors, and in 2014 was awarded the Latin Grammy for Musical Excellence, capping a career devoted to spreading fado around the world.