Carlos Manuel Moutinho Paiva dos Santos Duarte, better-known as Camané, was born on December 20, 1966, in Oeiras, Portugal.
Camané is the Prince of Fado. He is considered the most impressive interpreter presently in this music area, both by the public and the press: his voice, the way he sings and brings the melodies, his attitude towards the rhythm of fado is unique.
Being the dado an oral tradition, Camané has become aware of the tremendous importance of its legacy, persisting in the diffusion of the traditional repertory of fado and privileging the words of Portuguese poets, the classics and the contemporaneous.
Camané started singing Fado when he was still a teenager. He started getting appreciation in Portugal in 1979 after winning the ‘Grande Noite do Fado’ (Great Fado Night) contest.
After recording four highly praised studio albums, in 2004, the ‘Hemisphere’-series of EMI released a ‘best of” Camané called “The Prince of Fado.” In Portugal, EMI has also released “Camané ao vivo,” a double live record.
2006 was a quiet year, with his first concert DVD “Ao Vivo no S. Luiz” recorded during his tour to promote “Como Sempre… Como Dantes” and acclaimed performances in Italy and Finland.
2007 began with the rehearsals for “Outras Cancoes II,” a show made in April/May at S. Luiz Theatre, where he sang Brel, Sinatra and Jobim, among others.
After a year full of concerts not only in Portugal, but also abroad, Camané released, in April, his latest album called “Sempre de Mim.” With production from his co-worker from all time, Jose Mario Branco, this record has been acclaimed by the press as Camané’s best work ever. The public shared the same opinion as them, since just a week from its release, “Sempre de Mim” was awarded with a Gold Record. With 16 songs, ten of them traditional Fado (one theme is actually from Alain Oulmain, late Amalia Podrigues composer) and three new songs, it was presented live in the charismatic venue Coliseu dos Recreios in Lisbon to a sold-out audience.
Camané has become one of the leading male singers and achieved commercial success with six certified gold albums: Uma Noite de Fados (1995), Na Linha da Vida (1998), Esta Coisa da Alma (2000), Pelo Dia Dentro (2001), the live recording Como sempre… Como dantes (2003), and Sempre De Mim (2008).
Infinito Presente (2015), the product of an extended collaboration with the writer José Maria Branco, includes lyrics and arrangements that are deceptively simple. The songs express the mysterious emotion that the Portuguese claim as uniquely and exclusively theirs: saudade, which is at once the happiness that brings sadness, and the sadness that brings happiness.
On Camané’s 2017 album, Canta Marceneiro, he revisits the repertory of Alfredo Marceneiro, an early 20th century fado singer who, though only moderately competent as a technician, completely changed fado’s possibilities for artistic expression through unrestrained inventiveness and wit. Camané’s Canta Marceneiro is filled with mischievous stories that reveal the common cares and fears in all of us through the lives of astute waitresses, drunken painters, and kings’ courtiers.
Discography:
A Alma Jovem Do Fado (Riso E Ritmo Discos, 1982)
Uma Noite de Fados ( EMI-Valentim de Carvalho, 1995)
Na Linha da Vida ( EMI-Valentim de Carvalho, 1998)
Esta Coisa da Alma ( EMI-Valentim de Carvalho, 2000)
Pelo Dia Dentro (EMI Portugal, 2001)
Como sempre… Como dantes (EMI Portugal, 2003)
Ao vivo no São Luíz (2006)
Sempre de Mim (EMI Portugal, 2008)
Do Amor e dos Dias (EMI Portugal, 2010)
O Melhor 1995–2013 (Warner Music Portugal, 2013)
Infinito Presente ( Warner Music Portugal, 2015)
Canta Marceneiro ( Warner Music Portugal, 2017)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.