Carlos Manuel Proença

Carlos Manuel Proença was born on November 26, 1968. Son of the fado singer Maria Amélia Proença, the opportunity to make contact with the fado universe came up very early and, naturally, it was in this context that he revealed his talent as a classic guitargui interpreter.

At a very young age he started playing the guitar as a self-taught man. It was a step up to making the instrumental accompaniment for his mother and, due to the quality of his interpretations, the invitations to play the instrument for several fadistas followed.

At the age of 16, Carlos Manuel Proença attended the "Academia dos Amadores de Música", which allowed him to have contact with other sounds, acquire a more solid musical background and raise his level of performance as an instrumentalist.

It is in the fadista universe that Carlos Manuel Proença has stood out as a guitar interpreter, his work being recognized among the most qualified of the genre. For many years Carlos Manuel Proença has been featured in several fado houses.

His performances also extend to national and foreign stages and record editions with the most diverse artists, where, since the 1990s, his name has been a constant, present in recordings of the most qualified interpreters of the national song.

In 1997 he accompanied the Portuguese guitar player Custódio Castelo, recording some tracks from the album “Tempus”, edited by Ovação. Two years later, Carlos Manuel Proença recorded with Mísia the album “Paixões Diagonais”, edited by Erato, integrating a vast group of instrumentalists and, later, collaborated with the same fado singer on her album “Drama Box”.

Along with José Manuel Neto, on the Portuguese guitar, and Carlos Bica, on the double bass, he recorded Camané's albums “Esta Coisa da Alma” (EMI, 2000) and “Pelo Dia Dentro” (EMI, 2001). Accompanied again by the Portuguese guitar by José Manuel Neto and the double bass by Paulo Paz, he played on the album, also by Camané, “Sempre de Mim” (EMI, 2008).

In 2003 he recorded the album “Joana Amendoeira” (CNM), with Custódio Castelo on the Portuguese guitar, Marino Freitas on the bass guitar, Vicente Shuaqui on the cello and the participation of José Fontes Rocha on the Portuguese guitar.

Carlos Manuel Proença was part of the commemorative show of the 40 years of the career of the fado singer Carlos do Carmo, presented live at the Coliseu dos Recreios de Lisboa and later edited on CD and DVD (Universal, 2004).

Among the vast range of his services recorded on disk, we highlight, for example, that his viola is also present on albums or tracks of works by Helder Moutinho, Cristina Branco, Aldina Duarte, Pedro Moutinho or António Zambujo, among many others .

The year 2006 brought him even greater notoriety, when Casa da Imprensa awarded him the “Francisco Carvalhinho Prize”, delivered during the "Grande Noite do Fado", considering him an outstanding instrumentalist in the technique and interpretation of this musical genre.

Still in the same year, Carlos Manuel Proença recorded with his mother the album “Fados do Meu Fado”, edited by Ocarina, accompanied by Manuel Mendes on Portuguese guitar and Marino Feitas on acoustic bass. In this album, the musician also assumes the role of producer something he will repeat on the album “À Flor da Pele” (HMMúsica, 2006), by Joana Amendoeira, and on the most recent album by Pedro Moutinho, “Um Copo de Sol” (Iplay, 2009).

Carlos Manuel Proença also worked on the arrangements and composition of the title theme for the album “Outro Sentido” (Ocarina, 2007), by António Zambujo and, together with guitarist José Manuel Neto, assumed that same role in the arrangements and musical direction from Aldina Duarte's CD “Mulheres ao Espelho” (Roda-Lá Music, 2008).

The Amália Rodrigues Foundation distinguished him, during their third Gala, in 2008, with the “Best Instrumentist Award”, recognizing him as one of the great exponents of the interpretation of the fado guitar.

Since the beginning of his career in the accompaniment of fadistas, in the fado houses, a space where he continues to develop his performances, Carlos Manuel Proença has broadened his field of intervention, demonstrating his virtuosity as a fado interpreter through close collaboration with numerous artists in their concert performances. Carlos Manuel Proença performs numerous tours in both national and foreign territory, in shows by big names such as Carlos do Carmo, Camané, Ana Moura, Aldina Duarte, Carminho, Helder Moutinho, Cristina Branco or Mísia.

Source:

Program of the “III Amália Awards Gala”, Fundação Amália Rodrigues, 2008;

Program of the show “Carmo”, Casa da Música, 11 May 2008.