INTERVIEW: Fado legend Carlos do Carmo brings emotional resonance to his singing
Photo: Portuguese fado legend Carlos do Carmo performs at Town Hall in New York City, April 7, as part of Fado Festival New York. Accompanying him are José Manuel Neto on Portuguese guitar, Carlos Manuel Proença on classical guitar and Daniel Pinto on acoustic bass. Photo courtesy of Sachyn Mital / Provided by Cindy Byram PR with permission.
NEW YORK — When Carlos do Carmo took the stage at his recent concert in New York City, the audience deservedly gave him a standing ovation. The legendary fado singer from Lisbon, Portugal, is one of the most essential voices of this unique art form, and he continues to impress listeners, record music and evolve the traditions of fado for future generations.
When he took the stage at the Town Hall in Midtown Manhattan, most of the audience knew of Carmo’s illustrious career — hence the standing ovation before even a word was sung. What they may have been unaware of is that Carmo is readying a new album and counts Frank Sinatra as a heavy influence on his career.
Over the course of a 100-minute set, which also included some selections from Celeste Rodrigues (Amália’s sister), Carmo coupled emotional resonance with heartfelt pathos. He offered a couple new songs from the forthcoming album, a Sinatra tune and many of his classics (so well known that the audience sang along to the choruses).
Carmo’s voice held up perfectly throughout the night — strong and emotive, powerful and heartbreaking. His accompaniment consisted of José Manuel Neto on Portuguese guitar, Carlos Manuel Proença on classical guitar and Daniel Pinto on acoustic bass.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Carmo about his career and his New York City debut, which was part of Fado Festival New York. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What was it like to make your New York City debut at Town Hall?
Fantastic! There was a good mood in the theater, a marvelous audience, and I felt very, very happy. Besides Lisbon, my hometown and a city I love, there are two other cities that I love: Paris and New York!
How do you choose your set list for a concert?
It depends on the places and a bit on my mood.
You sang two songs from your new album. What can fans expect on the new album?
Ten completely new fados that I chose very, very carefully — 10 poems by five of the most important poets of all time.
You talked about your love of Frank Sinatra. How has Sinatra’s music influenced your life?
I have loved music all my life, and I was 12 when I first heard him. I was learning English in school, and my second teacher was Frank Sinatra. His voice, his phrasing, cleverness and enormous talent is unparalleled. And, if you listen to his recordings, one song is never delivered the same way twice, much like a fado singer.
Why are the lyrics of your fados so important?
Because the poets are so important, and I love my poets. They need to [be] heard.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
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