Marco Rodrigues is one of the greatest names in fado. He is from Amarante and has a career spanning over 20 years, with numerous awards, five albums in his own name and the much acclaimed recognition of national and international audiences.

Now, with the release of his seventh album, he wanted to pay tribute to Carlos do Carmo, the man who "helped him fall in love" with fado.

The combination of 13 songs that mark the career of fado singer Carlos do Carmo - who died on 1 January 2021, aged 82, from an aneurysm - was selected with "care, respect and affection".

"I get a little emotional because it was something I really wanted to be well received (...) The intention is just to pay homage to him and perpetuate him", confided Marco Rodrigues in an interview with Notícias ao Minuto.

Carlos do Carmo, together with Camané, is my great reference in fado'Marco Rodrigues Canta Carlos do Carmo' is your new album and I would say a beautiful tribute to the fado singer. What is the reason for this tribute?

Carlos do Carmo was one of the first people who made me fall in love with fado. My mother was the main person responsible for me singing fado. When my parents separated, I came to Lisbon and my mother enrolled me in a Grande Noite do Fado, I started to fall in love with the whole atmosphere surrounding fado, besides the music, and I met Carlos do Carmo when I presented my first album at Speak Easy.

The truth is that Carlos do Carmo, together with Camané, is undoubtedly my great reference in fado. I listened to all of Carlos do Carmo's albums in a row - when I was learning this language and when I was learning the basics of fado. It was undoubtedly him who helped me fall in love with this music through his interpretations, the songs, the way he approached traditional fados and songs.

In 2020 my mother passed away and my last album ['Judite'] was a tribute to her. The following year, in 2021, Carlos do Carmo died. For me, as a career timeline, it only made sense to make a tribute album to one of the people who made me fall in love with this music.

Carlos do Carmo did an incredible job supporting the new generation, both with me and with several of my colleagues

Was Carlos do Carmo's help and support essential in the beginning of your career? Was he someone who looked after and guided the younger generations so that they could succeed?

Without a doubt! I have a number of examples that reflect this. During my professional career, Carlos do Carmo did an incredible job supporting the new generation, both with me and with several of my colleagues. An example of this is the album 'Paz e Amor'. If we look at it, I don't remember any other fado singer who brought together new generation fado singers and fado singers from his own generation… The truth is that he had no problem walking alongside and supporting people from the new generation.

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How did you want to prepare this work? How did the process of selecting the songs and new arrangements unfold in order to give it your 'special touch'?

First of all, the album's arrangements are the great responsibility of Luís Figueiredo, the producer of this album. There were some songs that were essential and it was not possible to pay tribute to Carlos do Carmo without recording them, such as 'Lisboa Menina e Moça' or 'Canoas do Tejo'. And then there were others that, for me, made sense because of a history I had with those songs and with Carlos do Carmo, more private and personal things, which ended up making them part of this album.

Then, to put a bow on it and create the right line-up, I invited Becas do Carmo, Carlos' son, to help me with this executive part, to help me build the line-up and see if it would make sense. Carlos do Carmo has many songs and of course it would be possible to record three more albums… But I think that with this combination of essential songs and the most significant songs in my history with Carlos - and the opinion of Becas, who has been his father's artistic manager for the last 20 or so years - we reached an understanding and a line-up that makes us very happy.

Besides Becas do Carmo, as you mentioned, have you received feedback from other family members? What did they tell you about this tribute?

Yes, I have. Judite, Carlos' wife, conveyed through Becas that we have to get together soon. Becas is also very happy, Gil do Carmo and Cila do Carmo have also congratulated me. The family is very happy and I am very pleased. I even get a little emotional because it was something I really wanted to be well received, especially by the people closest to Carlos and who would understand that the tribute was made with care, with respect, with affection… The intention is just that: to pay homage to him and perpetuate him, so that there is one more record of Carlos do Carmo's songs.

I am sure that Carlos do Carmo would be very happy with this tribute

The album was released on 2 May. Will you do dedicated concerts or will it be included in your own shows?