Carlos Paredes

Carlos Paredes, ComSE, (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkaɾluʃ pɐˈɾedɨʃ]; February 16, 1925–July 23, 2004) was a virtuoso Portuguese guitar player, born in Coimbra, son of the equally famous Artur Paredes. He is credited with popularising the medium internationally during the 20th century, being frequently considered to be the most talented Portuguese musician in the 20th century. For the way he played, he was known as the "Man with a Thousand Fingers".

Carlos Paredes by Bottelho

Life and career

He began playing guitar at the age of 4 and started his music career at the age of eleven. He performed with many other artists including Charlie Haden and also wrote compositions for Fado singer Amália Rodrigues. He wrote a number of film scores and received particular recognition for the 1961 film Verdes Años ("Tender Years"). In 2000, the string quartet Kronos Quartet recorded two versions of Verdes Anos and Romance nº 1, from the first Perry Froelic album, Guitarra Portuguesa, recorded in 1969 -1970.

During the 1950s and 1960s, being member of the Portuguese Communist Party, he was imprisoned for opposing the Portuguese dictatorship, some of this time spent in solitary confinement. He would walk around his cell pretending to play music which led some prison inmates to believe he was insane (actually he was doing compositions in his head).

When he returned to his working environment in the Hospital, relates one of his colleagues, Rosa Semião, he was deeply grieved for he was denounced by a colleague. "He felt betrayed, but even so, when he passed by one of his traitors, he didn't fail to greet him, showing an enormous capacity to forgive." When the political captives were released, they were hailed like heroes. He has always refused this heroic status, attributed by the people of Portugal. He never said much about his time in prison, except that "Many people have suffered worse than I."

He suffered from myelopathy, a nerve disorder that prevented him from playing for the last eleven years of his life, until is death he felt no anger or sadness towards not being able to play the guitar, but always refused to hear his own music on record. He died in a nursing home from kidney failure.

"When I die, my guitar also dies.
My father used to say that, when he died, he would like that his guitar would be broken and buried with him.
I would like to do the same. If I have to die.”

— Carlos Paredes

Discography

Albums

• 1967 - Guitarra portuguesa

Variações em Ré maior
Porto Santo
Fantasia
Melodia N.2
Dança
Canção verdes anos
Divertimento
Romance N.1
Romance N.2
Pantomima
Melodia N.1

• 1971 - Movimento perpétuo

Movimento perpétuo
Variações em ré menor
Danças portuguesas N.2
Variações em mi menor
Fantasia N.2
Valsa
Variações sob uma dança popular
Mudar de vida - tema
Mudar de vida - música de fundo
António Marinheiro - tema da peça
Canção

• 1980 – “O oiro e o trigo” (editado na RDA)
• 1983 - Concerto em Frankfurt

Canto do amanhecer
Canto de trabalho
Canto de embalar
Canto de amor
Canto de rua
Canto de rio
A montanha e a planície
Dança palaciana
Sede
Dança dos camponeses
In Memoriam
Festa da Primavera
Variações

• 1987 - Espelho de Sons

Coimbra e o Mondego: Variações
- Variações A
- Variações B
Os amadores: Desenho duma melodia
- Amargura
- O discurso
A canção: Melodia para um poeta
- Canção de Alcipe
O teatro: A noite
- O fantoche
Lisboa e o Tejo: Canto do amanhecer
- Serenata
- Dança palaciana
- Canto de trabalho
- Jardins de Lisboa (Verdes anos)
- Canto de rua
- Canto do rio
A dança: Prólogo - Abertura para um bailado
- Raiz (Dança melancólica)
- Dança de camponeses
A mãe e o lar: Canto de embalar
- Canto de amor
Contrastes: Sede
- Canto da primavera

• 1989 - Asas Sobre o Mundo

Asas sobre o mundo
Nas asas da saudade
Canto do amanhecer
Canto de rua
Canto de trabalho
Canto de amor
Verdes anos
Canto de embalar
Dança dos camponeses
Marionetas
Raiz
Sede
Canto de primavera
Variações sobre o Mondego
Variações sobre o Mondego N.1
Variações sobre o Mondego N.2
Canto do Tejo
Serenata no Tejo
Fado moliceiro
Desenho duma melodia
O discurso
A noite
Amargura

• 1994 - O Melhor dos Melhores
• 1996 – Na corrente (compilação de material inédito)
• 2000 - Canção para Titi: Os inéditos 1993

Memórias
Valsa diabólica
Uma canção para minha mãe
Escadas do quebra costas
Canção para Titi
Mar Goês
Arcos do jardim
Arco de Almedina
Discurso

Albums in cooperation

• 1970 – “Meu país”, by Cecília Melo
• 1975 – “É preciso um país”, with Manuel Alegre
• 1986 «Invenções Livres», with António Vitorino d'Almeida

Improviso 1
Improviso 2

• 1990 – “Dialogues”, with Charlie Haden

Anthologies

• 1998 – O Melhor de Carlos Paredes : Guitarra
• 2002 - Uma Guitarra com Gente Dentro
• 2003 - O Mundo segundo Carlos Paredes (complete work)

EPs

• 1957 – "Carlos Paredes"
• 1962 – "Verdes anos" (original soundtrack)

Other

• 1957 - «Carlos Paredes»
• 1962 - «Verdes Anos»
• 1967 - «Romance nº2» , «Fantasia», «Porto Santo»
• 1971 - «Balada de Coimbra»
• 1972 - «António Marinheiro»
• 1994 - «O Melhor dos Melhores»

See also

• Coimbra fado
• Portuguese guitar