Society 379

For Fado it is characteristic that the musical
part is separated from the lyrics, which means
that we can always change the message. This is
what makes Fado so interesting, it is a really old
culture that travels through time.
is that its tunes are mournful and melancholic,
full of desire. The untranslatable
Portuguese term “saudade”
is the most popular theme of Fado,
transmitting a deep and sad longing
or yearning. Generally, the songs and
lyrics can be about anything but have
to follow a certain traditional structure.
“For Fado, it is characteristic that
the musical part is separated from
the lyrics, which means that we can
always change the message.
This is what makes Fado so interesting,
it is a really old culture that
travels through the times”, Carminho
adds. The famed musician writes her
own lyrics but also composes music.
She sometimes finds inspiration in old
songs she discovers on vintage vinyls
or CDs, which she often transforms
into new versions. “This approach is
very typical for Fado, just like it is in
blues or jazz”, she points out. Another
typical feature of Fado is the tradition
of passing it on orally: “We learn Fado
by listening to each other.” In 2011,
Fado was added to UNESCO’s list of
World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage,
with the UNESCO stating that with
“the dissemination of Fado through
emigration and the world music circuit
has reinforced its image as a symbol
of Portuguese identity, leading to
a process of cross-cultural exchange
involving other musical traditions.”
THE PATH TO STARDOM
Before she decided to make music
professionally, Carminho studied
advertising and marketing. Upon
graduation, she worked for an aid
organisation in Cambodia, Peru, India
and East Timor, which was a “turning
point” in her life, as she states in the
interview. “I am so glad that I made
this experience. It liberated me, I
gained a sense of independence and
my confidence improved a lot. Furthermore,
during that time it became
clear to me that I wanted to make
music professionally and not just as a
hobby.” Today, Carminho is said to be
the “new star of Fado” and one of the
most talented and innovative Fado
singers of her generation. So far, she
published five albums, the last one
called “Maria”, for which she travelled
back to her childhood days. “I tried to
recreate the feelings I had back then,
combining them with my current
emotions”, she explains. Being the
most personal of her albums yet, she
wrote the majority of the songs herself
and she also produced it.
Throughout her career, she worked
together with numerous well-known
artists, among them the Spanish
singer-songwriter Pablo Alborán
or the Brazilian superstars Milton
Nascimento, Marisa Monte and Chico
Buarque. Following an invitation of
the family of Tom Jobim, one of the
world’s greatest composers, Carminho
recorded the album „Carminho
canta Tom Jobim“ (2016) together
with the last band that accompanied
Jobim live. Asked about the personal
highlights of her career so far, she
says that there are too many to count.
“More than I could have ever dreamt
of”, she smiles. “I published my albums
without any pressure and without anyone
telling me how to do it and I had
collaborations with incredible artists,
which has always been a completely
overwhelming experience”, she goes
on. Carminho now performed on
every continent of this planet, with
the concerts in Austria being some
of her favourites. “For me, the Viennese
Konzerthaus is one of the most
beautiful places to play music at”. She
especially appreciates the interest the
Austrian audience is showing towards
new kinds of music and different ways
of expression and she hopes to come
back soon.
In the future, she just wants to stay
focused on her work. “I learned not to
have too many expectations because
that’s better for me. Everything good
happened to me without even dreaming
about it and life has been so kind
to me that I think it would be unfair to
ask for even more”, she concludes.
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