Lauren Hynde
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Portuguese guitarist Paredes dead at 79.
Portugal has lost one of its most famous musicians, Carlos Paredes. He passed away at his home in Lisbon at the age of 79 after a long illness. Paredes, known for his mournful acoustic guitar, was one of a generation of artists who brought Portugal's fado music to a wider audience.
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Carlos Paredes is widely considered the greatest and most important musician of the guitarra portuguesa (an unusual pear-shaped guitar with six steel double strings) of all times. As both composer and musician his work stands well above that of the scores of Portugal’s other accomplished players in its emotive and interpretative power. What Carlos Paredes offers is sheer poetry.
Carlos Paredes was born in 1925 in Coimbra, a centre for traditional fado. He’s the son of celebrated guitarrista Artur Paredes. At the age of only 4, Carlos began lessons. The family soon moved to Lisbon. In 1957, Paredes recorded his first album and soon went on to a lifetime of composing for film and record. His theme for Paulo Rocha’s 1971 film "Verdes Anos" ("Tender Years") became an acclaimed classic and a symbol of unity for the portuguese youth of that time which lived under the threat of the colonial war in Africa (in Angola, Mozambique and Guiné-Bissau), mercilessly run by Salazar’s repressive dictatorial regime.
Carlos Paredes has only recorded 4 full studio albums of his own music, 2 of which appeared in EMI-Valentim de Carvalho. The artist took up and abandoned various times two other albums. They still remain unfinished, though a few of the completed tracks were released in 1996 in a compilation of these and other rarities.
In 1990 he recorded the album "Dialogues" with jazz bass player Charlie Haden. Haden remarked, "The wonderful thing about playing music with Carlos is that he takes you on this incredible and unpredictable musical journey full of passion, depth and beauty".
"Cancões para Titi - Inéditos 1993" (released in 1998) is probably his last album in a career of more than 50 years of activity. During the recording sessions he could hardly finish it. Carlos Paredes is unfortunately seriously ill with a disease that has imobilized him.
In 1998, the world renowned american music-ensemble KRONOS QUARTET included 4 compositions by Carlos Paredes in their repertoire (which includes Bartók, Webern, Cage, Piazolla, Schnittke, Pärt, Riley among others). The compositions chosen were namely the classics: - "Romance nr.1"; "Variações em Ré Maior"; "Verdes Anos"; and "Variações sobre uma Dança Popular", with musical arrangements by Golijov.
One can find "Verdes Anos" and "Romance nr.1" in the Kronos Quartet CD "Caravan" (1998).
Portugal has lost one of its most famous musicians, Carlos Paredes. He passed away at his home in Lisbon at the age of 79 after a long illness. Paredes, known for his mournful acoustic guitar, was one of a generation of artists who brought Portugal's fado music to a wider audience.
*******
Carlos Paredes is widely considered the greatest and most important musician of the guitarra portuguesa (an unusual pear-shaped guitar with six steel double strings) of all times. As both composer and musician his work stands well above that of the scores of Portugal’s other accomplished players in its emotive and interpretative power. What Carlos Paredes offers is sheer poetry.
Carlos Paredes was born in 1925 in Coimbra, a centre for traditional fado. He’s the son of celebrated guitarrista Artur Paredes. At the age of only 4, Carlos began lessons. The family soon moved to Lisbon. In 1957, Paredes recorded his first album and soon went on to a lifetime of composing for film and record. His theme for Paulo Rocha’s 1971 film "Verdes Anos" ("Tender Years") became an acclaimed classic and a symbol of unity for the portuguese youth of that time which lived under the threat of the colonial war in Africa (in Angola, Mozambique and Guiné-Bissau), mercilessly run by Salazar’s repressive dictatorial regime.
Carlos Paredes has only recorded 4 full studio albums of his own music, 2 of which appeared in EMI-Valentim de Carvalho. The artist took up and abandoned various times two other albums. They still remain unfinished, though a few of the completed tracks were released in 1996 in a compilation of these and other rarities.
In 1990 he recorded the album "Dialogues" with jazz bass player Charlie Haden. Haden remarked, "The wonderful thing about playing music with Carlos is that he takes you on this incredible and unpredictable musical journey full of passion, depth and beauty".
"Cancões para Titi - Inéditos 1993" (released in 1998) is probably his last album in a career of more than 50 years of activity. During the recording sessions he could hardly finish it. Carlos Paredes is unfortunately seriously ill with a disease that has imobilized him.
In 1998, the world renowned american music-ensemble KRONOS QUARTET included 4 compositions by Carlos Paredes in their repertoire (which includes Bartók, Webern, Cage, Piazolla, Schnittke, Pärt, Riley among others). The compositions chosen were namely the classics: - "Romance nr.1"; "Variações em Ré Maior"; "Verdes Anos"; and "Variações sobre uma Dança Popular", with musical arrangements by Golijov.
One can find "Verdes Anos" and "Romance nr.1" in the Kronos Quartet CD "Caravan" (1998).
