He was the son of Lucília do Carmo (one of the greatest fadistas of the 20th century) and Alfredo de Almeida, (bookseller and later entrepreneur in the hotel business). His parents were also the owners of the famous Lisbon restaurant "O Faia". One might say that Carlos do Carmo was raised in an artistic atmosphere. His parents' house in the old part of the city, Bairro Alto, was a place where intelectuals and artists gathered, some of the more prominent figures of Lisbon society at that time. He studied the hotel business in Switzerland. In 1964, Carlos do Carmo began one of the most solid careers in the artistic panorama of Portugal...
When he returned to Lisbon from Switzerland he entered the hotel business with his parents, and took the reigns of "Casa de Fado" which they had founded, using all of the ideas and techniques that he learned in Switzerland. After the death of his father, Carlos do Carmo became the owner, and thanks to his merits and good luck, made "Casa de Fado" the best in Lisbon. But music was ever present in him, and he recorded one of his mother's songs, "Loucura", at the request of Mário Simões almost on a lark. The success of this experience was so great that the destiny of Carlos do Carmo could not possibly be delayed a minute more. The opportunity to record his first album came quickly, and in 1964 he recorded " Estranha Forma de Vida". His way of singing was different, his personal style unmistakable, he was the one that fado was waiting for to carry on the tradition, and there was a certainty that a new star had been born. From that moment on, success was part of his life, each and every fado that he sang, every album he recorded, every performance he gave, corresponded with yet another hit. All of his albums up to the present day have been cherished and the sales of his television performances are now part of fado history, recognized for their high quality, and for the inovative spirit that each one transmits. "Por morrer uma andorinha", "Duas lágrimas de orvalho", "Bairro Alto", "Gaivota",
"Canoas do Tejo", "Os Putos", "Lisboa Menina e Moça" e "Estrela da Tarde", are some of the biggest hits of his career. Because of a desire to maintain a purely artistic career for such a long time, his artistic references include quite diverse artists as Frank Sinatra, Jaques Brel, Elis Regina and José Afonso. The international circulation of his work was driven, as he always likes to affirm, "By those Portuguese who leave my country in search of a better life, and who have passed my works in to the hands of entrepreneurs and cultural agents of the various countries where they reside".
He has sung on 5 continents, his performances at the "Olympia" in paris, the opera houses of Frankfurt and Wiesbaden, the Canecão in Rio de Janeiro, the "Savoy" in Helsinki, the Auditório Nacional in madrid, the Teatro da Rainha in Haia, the theater of Saint Petersburgh, the "Place des Arts" in Montreal, the Tivoli in Copenhagen, and the Memorial da América latina in São Paulo are some of the finest moments of his career. His performances throughout Portugal at the Mosteiro dos
Jerónimos, the Fundação Gulbenkian, the Coliseu dos Recreios, the Casino do Estoril,
and at the Centro Cultural de Belém make a difference in the cultural level of the country.
The number of honours and awards he has received to this day are innumerable, from being named an honorary citizen of the city of Rio De Janeiro, member of the honor of Claustro Ibero-Americano das Artes, to the diploma accorded him by the senate of Rhode Island in the U.S. for his contribution to the propagation of Portuguese music, to the golden globe. He also figures as a pioneer in the new Portuguese discography, due to his album "Um Homem no País", the first cd to be edited by an artist in Portugal.
Carlos do Carmo knows the importance of family life, he's been married since 1964 having 3 children, as fruit of this union, one daughter and 2 sons, who maintain a close relationship with him. It's not always easy to juggle life as a family man with the life of a world traveling artist. He persues the realization of this dream, because he considers the union of family to be important. He considers himself the first link in a chain of individual connections. He values being with friends, and enjoys making new friends, maintaining an high level of quality in his artistic life.
Carlos do Carmo is an artist who has certainly already attained some of his goals, aiming for a public who holds him in high esteem, great respect, apreciating in him not only his qualities as a musician, but also those of an artist interested in the evolution of the music of his homeland, and who believes in the evolution of man as a creature who can embrace the whole world in it's diversity.
lisboa menina e moça
Carlos do Carmo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Em Alfama descanso o olhar
E assim desfaço o novelo de azul e mar
Á Ribeira encosto a cabeça
Almofada da cama do Tejo
Com lençóis bordados à pressa na cambraia dum beijo
Lisboa menina e moça menina
Teus seios são as colinas varina
Pregão que me traz à porta ternura
Cidade a ponto-luz bordada
Toalha á beira-mar estendida
Lisboa menina e moça amada
Cidade mulher da minha vida
No Terreiro eu passo por ti
Mas na Graça eu vejo-te nua
Quando um pombo te olha, sorri, és mulher da rua
E no bairro mais alto do sonho
Ponho um fado que soube inventar
Aguardente de vida e medronho, que me faz cantar
Lisboa menina e moça menina
Da luz que os meus olhos vêm tão pura
Teus seios são as colinas varina
Pregão que me traz à porta ternura
Cidade a ponto-luz bordada
Toalha á beira-mar estendida
Lisboa menina e moça amada
Cidade mulher da minha vida
Lisboa no meu amor deitada
Cidade por minhas mãos despida
Lisboa menina e moça amada
Cidade mulher da minha vida
The lyrics to Carlos do Carmo's song "Lisboa Menina E Moça" reflect a deep love and appreciation for the city of Lisbon, Portugal. The first verse describes the poet's habit of resting his elbow on a castle, looking out over the blue sea and untangling his thoughts. He then rests his head on the riverbank, using the river as his pillow, covered in embroidered sheets that are a result of passionate love. The second verse describes the poet's admiration for the city's beauty and how it inspires him. He describes the city as a fabric, woven with points of light, stretched out like a towel by the sea. The poet's love becomes all-encompassing, as he declares Lisbon to be his city, his woman, and the love of his life.
The song is a tribute to Lisbon, a city that is often referred to as the "City of Lights". The lyrics celebrate the city's natural beauty and its people. The song recognizes Lisbon's unique culture, seen in the fado music that originates from the city. Through the lyrics, the poet seems to be expressing his deep personal connection to the city and how it has shaped him. This song has become an anthem for Lisbon and is deeply ingrained in Portuguese culture.
Line by Line Meaning
No Castelo ponho um cotovelo
I rest my elbow on the Castle, taking in its beauty and history
Em Alfama descanso o olhar
I relax my gaze on Alfama's picturesque scenery
E assim desfaço o novelo de azul e mar
I unravel the beautiful views of the blue ocean and sky
Á Ribeira encosto a cabeça
I place my head against the Riverside, it's my comfort
Almofada da cama do Tejo
It's the bed's pillow by the river of Tejo
Com lençóis bordados à pressa na cambraia dum beijo
The bed sheet was embroidered with a passionate kiss on the delicate fabric
Lisboa menina e moça menina
Lisbon, a young and beautiful girl
Da luz que os meus olhos vêm tão pura
The light that my eyes see so purely
Teus seios são as colinas varina
Your hills are the breasts of the fishmongers' women
Pregão que me traz à porta ternura
Their traditional fish market calls bring me tenderness and nostalgia
Cidade a ponto-luz bordada
The city with embroidered points of light
Toalha á beira-mar estendida
A towel, spread out by the seaside
Lisboa menina e moça amada
Lisbon, beloved young girl
Cidade mulher da minha vida
The city, the woman of my life
No Terreiro eu passo por ti
I walk by you at Terreiro
Mas na Graça eu vejo-te nua
But in Graça, I see the raw beauty of you
Quando um pombo te olha, sorri, és mulher da rua
When a pigeon looks at you and smiles, you're the soul of the street
E no bairro mais alto do sonho
In the highest district of my dreams
Ponho um fado que soube inventar
I play a fado that I invented
Aguardente de vida e medronho, que me faz cantar
A spirit of life and medronho that makes me sing
Lisboa no meu amor deitada
Lisbon, lying in my love
Cidade por minhas mãos despida
The city, undressed by my hands
Lisboa menina e moça amada
Lisbon, beloved young girl
Cidade mulher da minha vida
The city, the woman of my life
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jose Carlos Pereira Ary Dos Santos, Fernando Travassos Tordo, Joaquim Maria Pessoa, Manuel Paulo De Carvalho Costa
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gabriela Dragana Barać
Lisbon is the most beautiful city in the world, and Portugal is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. ❤️ The city of Porto is very old and romantic city. The Portuguese should be proud of the beauty of their country. They have a beautiful nature, climate, architecture, cuisine, music (fado) ... Only people without souls don't like fado. Lisbon has a soul, and its name is ‘fado’. Fado was recognised by UNESCO in 2011 as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’. Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city, is the heartbeat of the country. It’s also one of the oldest cities in the world, predating even Rome. Lisbon is a city of old souls who value tradition, art, and creativity and are putting those facets of life to use in modern ways.
The Portuguese people are some of the kindest I’ve come across in my travels. They are one of the best nations in the world, they are very polite and friendly open to foreigners. People with the beautiful hearts and souls.
For me, the Portuguese language is the most beautiful language. I speak several languages including Portuguese, Spanish, French, English, German, and Croatian, my native language. Languages are my passion. European Portuguese and Slavic languages have the same phonetics. In Portugal, Russian speaking people learn the language quite easily. English speaking people don't use many of the sounds used in Portuguese, so they have a bit more difficulty.
European Portuguese is sexy as fuck, it's a perversion for my ears. 😊 Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes once called Portuguese "the sweet and gracious language" and Spanish playwright Lope de Vega referred to it as "sweet", while the Brazilian writer Olavo Bilac poetically described it as "a última flor do Lácio, inculta e bela" (the last flower of Latium, rustic and beautiful). Portuguese is also termed "the language of Camões", after one of the greatest literary figures in the Portuguese language, Luís Vaz de Camões.
Olavo Bilac once said "a Pátria não é a raça, o meio, o conjunto dos aparelhos económicos e políticos, é o idioma herdado ou criado por um povo". Fernando Pessoa wrote in Lisbon "a minha Pátria é a Língua Portuguesa".
Fado is such s high level art form, and no other language, I repeat, no other language could ever work for fado, not even remotely. This form of artistic musical expression only works with Portuguese. This language evokes all of the necessary soulful spiritual nuances, emotions, feelings. Only the Portuguese could turn the concept of FATE into the highly developed musical art form that it is. The beautiful, sonorous, smooth Portuguese language allowed for that to happen. European Portuguese is equally perfect for poetry and literature.
As beautiful as French, Italian, Spanish are, neither of these languages would sound right for fado. And Brazilian Portuguese has the same musical relationship with samba, Bossa nova. No other language would work for these 2 musical styles. I can't imagine samba, Bossa nova sung in any other language than Portuguese, of the Brazilian variety. It's perfect for that because its intonation is so expressive, and Brazilians have such a playful relationship with the Portuguese language. Precisely why it works for their own musical styles. Saudações da Croácia. 😘
Al Laurens
O Hino de Lisboa !
Nao troco Lisboa por NADA deste mundo!!
Cidade minha
Mulher minha
Canc,ao do sol
Em Abril. Quando o Sol sobe
Gaivota perdida
Barcos de todo o mundo
Gente de tofo o lado
Mas eu nao vou.
Porque e' Lisboa!
Porwue aqui sou Rei
E porque todo o mundo vem ca'....
Ruthe Cavalcanti
Um poema, um cantor
Uma Cidade, uma moça Cristal
Cristal Cristalina, Cidade bela moça
No encanto, o poema
Realçado pelo nobre sotaque...
Enobrcedor o sotaque...
Do poema e do sotaque...
Quem mais enobrece a língua portuguêsa?
Um homem, um país , uma língua, um sotaque ...
Um cantor enobrecedor.
Um poema enobrecido.
Pedro Sabido
Apesar desta ser a versão mais conhecida, a última parte da letra não é a original (dito pelo próprio fadista).
A letra original termina:
Lisboa na minha voz cantada
Cidade por nossas mãos erguida
Lisboa Menina e Moça amada
Cidade razão da nossa vida
Carlos do Carmo - 5° Aniversário Fado Património da Humanidade (Teatro São Luiz) 27/11/2016
Tusiriakest
Lisboa, Menina e Moça
by Paulo de Carvalho
No Castelo[i] On the Castle[i]
Ponho um cotovelo, I place my elbow
Em Alfama[ii] On Alfama[ii]
Descanso o olhar. I rest my gaze
E assim desfaz-se o novelo Always unrolling the skein
De azul e mar. Of blue, of the sea.
À Ribeira[iii] encosto a cabeça I pillow my head on the Riverside[iii]
Almofada The cushion
Da cama do Tejo[iv] Of the Tejo’s[iv] bed,
Com lençóis bordados à pressa With sheets hastily embroidered
Na cambraia de um beijo. On the cambric of a kiss.
Lisboa menina moça, menina: Lisboa menina e moça, menina:
Da luz que meus olhos vêem tão pura, In this light my eyes see you, so pure,
Teus seios são colinas, varina, Your breasts are hills, oh fishwife
Pregão que me traz a porta, ternura. Who carries tenderness, to my door.
Cidade a ponto-luz bordada, A city embroidered in light,
Toalha a beira-mar estendida. Tapestry stretched out by the sea.
Lisboa menina e moça, amada, Lisboa menina e moça, beloved,
Cidade mulher da minha vida. City-woman, love of my life.
No Terreiro eu Passo[v] por ti In the Courtyard[v] I pass you by,
Mas da Graça[vi] eu vejo-te nua. But from Graça[vi] I see you unclothed.
Quando um pombo te olha, sorri, When the pigeons see you, they smile,
És mulher da rua. You are a woman of the streets.
E no Bairro mais Alto[vii] do sonho And in the Bairro[vii] of highest dreams
Ponho fado que soube inventar: I place what fado I could invent:
Aguardente de vida e medronho Firewater of life and liquour
Que me faz cantar. That makes me sing.
Lisboa menina moça, menina: Lisboa menina e moça, menina:
Da luz que meus olhos vêem tão pura, In this light my eyes see you, so pure,
Teus seios são colinas, varina, Your breasts are hills, oh fishwife
Pregão que me traz a porta, ternura. Who carries tenderness, to my door.
Cidade a ponto-luz bordada, A city embroidered in light,
Toalha a beira-mar estendida. Tapestry stretched out by the sea.
Lisboa menina e moça, amada, Lisboa menina e moça, beloved,
Cidade mulher da minha vida. City-woman, love of my life.
Lisboa, no meu amor deitada, Lisbon, lying upon my love,
Cidade por minhas mãos despida, City undressed by my hands.
Lisboa menina e moça, amada, Lisboa menina e moça, beloved,
Cidade mulher da minha vida. City-woman, love of my life.
Henrique Baio
Nunca mais vamos poder ver isto ao vivo... mas podemos sempre vir aqui para recordar a obra deste grande intérprete!
LeoPerkk
E o facto de que esta música sobreviveu ao teste do tempo comprova o valor que tem! É uma honra, como lisboeta, que esta música exista.
gonçalo silva
Tenho 23 anos e tive a oportunidade de ver este Senhor com "S" maiúsculo ao vivo no dia 25 de Abril num apresentação no pavilhão Paz e Amizade em Loures, inesquecível
Joel Silva
Sem dúvida alguma 🙏🙏👏👏👏👏💙💙🌟🦋
Daniel Filipe 🇵🇹
Mesmo
Diogo Rodrigues
Descanse em paz, Carlos do Carmo! Que Lisboa e o país esteja sempre consigo! 👏
kulturfreund66
Morreu Carlos do Carmo?
Diogo Rodrigues
@kulturfreund66 Sim, não viste as notícias?
kulturfreund66
@Diogo Rodrigues Não sabia. Não vejo regularmente noticias portuguesas quando estou na Alemanha.
Bom ano novo, mesmo assim.
Maria Coimbra
E mais uma vez se fez justiça..e nao se esqueceu nunca da cultura..bem haja a todos os portugueses ..que o homenejaram..Lisboa menina e moça..Paz a sua alma..ficara na história