Carlos Carmo

Carlos do Carmo was a Portuguese fado singer who began his career in the early 1960s and achieved national and international success in the 1970s. He was the son of Lucília do Carmo, a well-known fadista, and Alfredo de Almeida, a bookseller and owner of the fado house O Faia. He returned from Switzerland to help his mother run the family business after his father's death in 1962. He started singing himself and recorded his first EP in 1964. He collaborated with several poets and musicians who opposed the Estado Novo regime, such as Ary dos Santos, Fernando Tordo and Paulo de Carvalho. He represented Portugal at the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Uma flor de verde pinho". He introduced new styles and influences to fado, such as orchestras, jazz and other musical genres. He performed at prestigious venues such as the Royal Opera House in London and the Paris Olympia. He received several awards and honors, including the Order of Merit and the Order of Liberty from Portugal, the Medal of Paris from France, and the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States. He died on January 1, 2021, at the age of 81, from an aneurysm. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and respected fado singers of all time.