Camané: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Great fado singers sound as if they carry the weight of the world's sadness. They don't just wear their hearts on their sleeves — they bare their souls.

Fado, which means "fate" in Portuguese, emerged from the gritty barrios and docks of Lisbon in the early 19th century and has evolved in fascinating ways. Think of it as the Portuguese blues. The songs aren't just sad. They flow with an ineffable mix of longing, loss and melancholy, framed in resignation. It's a kind of glad-to-be-unhappy feeling the Portuguese and Brazilians call saudade.

Camané, with his silky baritone, can emote with the best of them, but never takes it over the top. This voice, with its volume and sheer beauty, springing from this small-framed man is something to behold.

Camané, whose full name is Carlos Manuel Moutinho Paiva dos Santos Duarte, got hooked on fado by listening to his parents' record collection. He began singing as a teenager and has emerged as a shining star of his generation, a standout male singer in a genre dominated by women. As for his success, Camané has sold six million albums in his home country. There are about 10.5 million people living in Portugal. You do the math.

One last thing: An important ingredient in fado's recipe for melancholy is the rich, tinkling sound of Portuguese guitar. It goes far beyond simple accompaniment. With its twelve steel strings strung in double courses, the instrument not only comments on the text but also enters into a type of heartfelt dialogue with the singer. Pay attention to José Manuel Neto's performance here — with nuance and charm it has the power to transport you to a cozy little tavern in the Alfama district of Lisbon. --TOM HUIZENGA

Set List
"Abandono" (David Mourão-Ferreira, Alain Oulman) 0:00
"Cansaço (Fado Tango)" (Luís Macedo, Joaquim Campos) 4:47
"Saudades trago comigo" (António Calém, trad.) 9:18

Featuring
Camané, singer
José Manuel Neto, Portuguese Guitar
Carlos Manuel Proença, Guitar

Credits
Producers: Tom Huizenga, Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Maggie Starbard; Assistant Producer: Annie Bartholomew; photo by Maggie Starbard/NPR

[caetanacarvalho]

Não acredito que só passados quase 10 anos encontrei o Camané a cantar no Tiny Desk ❤️👏🏽 incrível

[marieademorais]

Felizmente que se pode ouvir estes fadistas com voz que da arrepios, quando estamos longe.

[georgereis]

I’m glad to know that the NPR got to witness one of the best Portuguese guitar player in the world .

[sudinacharya]

I don't understand Portuguese language but his voice is soo deeply connected with emotion... his voice can touch any music lover....

[miguelangelfernandezsardin]

Un monstruo q hace q todos queramos saber mas sobre la idiosincrasia de un país tan especial como es Portugal. Gracias.

[NTG]

I'm an instant fan of the Portuguese guitar!  Superb!

[nimbxs]

O nosso Camané. O nosso fado. Uma surpresa muito agradável vê-los aqui.

[ArdalanHamann]

How glamorous and glorious it is when you confidently present your national art and culture in this industrial world of business POP music fascism.
Your country shall be proud of you Camane. And people like me are inspired by people like you

[marieademorais]

Que voz deslumbrante o senhor tem. Fadista de verdade sem micro, olhos fechados o mãos os bolsos. Aqui taolonge de ti, ouço todos os dias a tua voz carinhosa e não me canso.Vem morrer cantando o fado nos meus braços. Eu não sou esquina da rua!

[kerriar]

This is incredible - I just hope that NPR as a public institution is not threatened by the lunacy that has taken hold in the US these days.

[MrTiagoalves]

A música portuguesa é uma verdadeira joia a ser apreciada e conhecida. Como brasileiro, tenho tido o prazer de me aprofundar e conhecê-la melhor. Mas infelizmente, ela é pouco divulgada nas mídias brasileiras... Sorte termos o Youtube para encontrar essas preciosidades.

[Karime]

I’m a big fan of Fado (I’m not Portuguese) and my favorite Fado artist is Carminho!! Her voice is amazing 😉.

[bgravato]

I'm an avid follower of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts. I'm also portuguese.
I was quite surprised to see a fado singer at Bob's desk, but also excited about it.

Fado is a very peculiar genre, I think the comparison with blues is a great one. Also like blues, fado is not only about sadness and melancholy, though it's its most common and traditional form. Like traditional blues, fado has also evolved and one can find some happy and more upbeat fado songs.

Another thing it shares with blues I think is the live experience vs studio recordings. Though this can be true for any genre, I think when it comes to fado the difference is even bigger. I don't usually buy or listen to fado records at home, but I quite enjoy listening to fado live, specially on its more traditional form, which is usually on small restaurants/taverns in "old town". The level of interaction and intimicy between singer, guitarists and audience always makes it a very unique and quite emotional and enjoyable experience. Fado lives from emotions and is powered/fuelled by them.

If you ever visit Lisbon, Porto or Coimbra in Portugal I recommend you try to find a place where they sing (traditional) fado (and you'll also notice the style they sung it in these 3 cities is quite distinctive).

Camané is one of the most prolific fado singers in Portugal (on its "traditional" form, though he has been involved in many different projects, not so much related to fado) and is one of my favourites (along with female singer Carminho), but there are other singers/musicians who have took fado into new grounds, like Mariza or Antonio Zambujo, which are also worth listening to.

Thank you NPR for showing Fado to the world!

[rolha]

Sou fã do Tiny Desk Concert... No entanto não percebo porque não me passou pelos olhos o Camané.... Fantástico concerto! Way to go!

[Mystimado]

Merveilleux Camanè. Je ne m'en lasse de vous écouter Bravo

[globalman]

Thank you. I've only ever heard one other male singing Fado. I've recordings from numerous woman naturally including Amalia. Camané is wonderful to listen to and to watch. And what incredible eyes he has.
Love the Portuguese guitars such beautiful instruments. I visited a museum just for them while living in Lisboa. Extraordinary.
From the first moment I heard Fado I was hooked. It tears at my heart and reaches me in the most profound part of my being.

[albertoguarda]

Todos estes artistas, ao manter esta tradição viva, são um orgulho nacional e os embaixadores da nossa cultura. Que sorte.

[joaofreitasmendes]

More than 10 years ago i heard this record for the 1 st time. Always delightful

[tiagomorking]

Grata surpresa que tive eu aqui do Brasil ao me deparar com este vídeo. Parabéns ao canal e, claro, ao Camané e seus músicos, José Manuel Neto e Carlos Manuel Proença.

[mediocrecyclist]

Dude, yes. Thank you for putting this piece of world music in the minds of people. Fado is the dearest part of my culture and I'm so proud it has given chills to NPR.