Carlos Macedo

Carlos Macedo, full name is José Carlos de Campos Macedo, was born on December 9^th, 1946, in the parish of Lousado, Vila Nova de Famalicão’s council, district of Braga.

He was a teenager when he started singing Fado among his family and friends and soon everyone recognized his talent. However, he lived in so restricted area that there was no guitar player to accompany him, which won’t be able to improve his knowledge.

So, inhabitants decided to give him a guitar that it cost 350$00 giving him chance to practice.

Being a self-taught, he tried to learn how to play guitar observing his idol José Fontes Rocha on the broadcasting radio programmes.

Carlos Macedo had chosen his job, his “way of living”, but to do so he knew he had to leave his homeland. When he goes to the military service he has the opportunity of his life. He left to a commission in Nampula, Mozambique and on board he plays his guitar “to cheer up the folks”, as he said.

During his stay in Mozambique between 1967 until 1969 he took part of the Military Forces’ Band travelling around the ex-Portuguese colony performing to the troops.

When he finished his military service, he decided to stay in Mozambique, and then he got a job as civil servant in the National Printing House settling down there until 1975.

At the same time he performed in several places in Mozambique as “Solar da Madragoa”, which belonged to Eulália Duarte, a Fado’s singer, “Tertúlia”. Later, he opened a restaurant called “Ribatejano” where he was daily performing.

In 1972, he was elected as “King of Fado” in Mozambique and in 1973 recorded his first two albums: “Campa Florida” and “Guitarra Toca Baixinho”.

In 1975, he returned to Portugal, and settled down in Lisbon, only performing.

He was hired to perform at “1001” in Bairro Alto. Then he performed at Chaparro”, “Tabuinhas” and “Copos Bar” in Cascais. In Lisbon, he inaugurated the “Taverna D' El Rei”, then “Embuçado” and, finally, “Mr. Wine”, where he plays at this moment (2000).

He is composer and singer of his songs and he also composes to others.

Mentioning some travels and shows:

In the middle of 80’s Portuguese communities invited him to USA together with Dr. Machado Soares to celebrate July 10^th, performing in Bristol and New Bedford.

In 1987, he went to Macau with Ada de Castro on July 10^th.

In 1994, he went to Macau with Maria da Fé to celebrate the same holiday.

In 1998 he accompanied Carolina Tavares to Macau and stayed there for two months for the inauguration of the “Lusitano” restaurant. For a week he performs on the stage of EXPO’98.

He had already performed in broadcasting television programmes of RTP, SIC and TVI. He went abroad to perform in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Macau, Luxembourg, Angola, Spain, Switzerland, USA, etc. accompanied most of the time by Jaime Martins (bass guitar).

In 2000 he recorded the new CD “Este meu fado”.

Carlos Macedo confesses:

“I’m a guitar player, because when I started singing, there were no more players at my homeland (…) so I had to accompany myself. I never had a teacher, I have learned paying attention to other players and little by little I improved my technique, and having musical perception, I got close of my idol, Fontes Rocha. The guitar player should let the singer sings, never overlapping the singer’s voice. His job is to embellish Fado with simplicity.”

Since 1989 Carlos Macedo is been doing handicraft of guitars taught by Fontes Rocha and others and, little by little, he has been developing the technical and acoustic characteristics of this instrument, performing with a guitar manufactured by him.

His first guitar is kept away as an antique.

Source:

http://www.artistaspt.com