Carlos Paredes


Carlos Paredes, ComSE, was a virtuoso Portuguese guitar player and composer, born in Coimbra. The son of the equally famous guitarist Artur Paredes, he is credited for popularising the Portuguese guitar to an international audience.

Life and career

Carlos Paredes began playing Portuguese guitar at the age of four 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 Anos. 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.
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."

Discography

Albums

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
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
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
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

- Canto de rua

- Canto do rio

A dança: Prólogo - Abertura para um bailado

- Raiz

- Dança de camponeses

A mãe e o lar: Canto de embalar

- Canto de amor

Contrastes: Sede

- Canto da primavera
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
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

Improviso 1

Improviso 2