José da Câmara

The youngest of six children, José da Câmara is the son of Maria Augusta de Melo de Novais e Ataíde da Câmara and Vicente Maria do Carmo de Noronha da Câmara. His grandparents on his father’s side were Maria Edite and D. João Luis da Câmara and on his mother’s side Beatriz and Manuel de Ataíde. He was born in Lisbon at the CUF Hospital, in the Alcântara district, on the 23 May 1967.

He began to sing at a very young age, influenced by his father and brothers and sisters, as they all played the Spanish guitar and sang. At home he had an extremely nurturing musical environment.

He began to sing the fado for fun, at family feasts and at school. In 1984 he sang for the first time at a more serious setting, at Teatro da Trindade. Later on, in 1985, he joined his father at the Music Festival of the Azores, in the Terceira island, and sang with him.

He made his debut as a professional singer in 1986, as guest star at vaudeville play "Lisboa, Tejo e Tudo", by César de Oliveira, Fialho Gouveia and Raúl Solnado, at Teatro Maria Vitória.

José da Câmara was the winner of the Nova Gente Award in 1986, with the Fado Revelation Award.

Also in 1986 he signed a contract with EMI Valentim de Carvalho, by the hand of Mário Martins and later in 1988 he records is first album "José da Câmara".

He is the author of several fado songs, namely "À Sombra da Lua", after which the first record of Mico da Câmara Pereira was named.

José da Câmara has performed in Spain, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, England, Mozambique, Morocco, Canada, Macao and South Korea. He considers that his most important shows were at Europália, in Belgium, and at the Macao Classic Music Festival.

He has often performed at the Portuguese television networks.

In 2000 he performed regularly at “Clube do Fado”.

He was also part of the “Quatro Cantos” ensemble, a different model of fado performance that joins the names of António Pinto Basto, Maria Armanda and Teresa Tapadas.

After “Emoções – Canta Roberto Carlos” (2010) and “Câmara: Um nome, três gerações” (2011), a CD where his father, Vicente da Câmara, is accompanied by two of his sons – Manuel and José – and his granddaughter Teresa, José da Câmara releases “Até Sempre, Sr. Fado”, in 2014 and, more recently, “Estrelas-guia” (2019).

José was also one of the voices of Rádio Sim, from Renascença group, with the program "Casa de Fados".