30 Facts About Carlos Paredes

Carlos Paredes is regarded as one of the greatest players of Portuguese guitar of all-time.

Carlos Paredes composed numerous soundtracks for cinema and theatre, such as the soundtrack for the Portuguese film Os Verdes Anos, which contains his famous piece "Cancao Verde Anos".

Carlos Paredes released several recordings as a solo artist and performed in numerous countries worldwide.

Besides his music career, Carlos Paredes worked in the public service for most of his life.

Carlos Paredes was born in Coimbra on 16 February 1925.

Carlos Paredes's father was Artur Paredes, an acclaimed player of Portuguese guitar from Coimbra.

Carlos Paredes did his primary education at the Joao de Deus School, and afterwards attended the Passos Manuel Lyceum.

Carlos Paredes started playing guitar when he was 4 years-old, taught by his father.

Carlos Paredes worked in the radiography archive of the Hospital de Sao Jose, in Lisbon, while maintaining his musical career.

Carlos Paredes grew up in an environment of discreet resistance and political opposition to Antonio Salazar's Estado Novo regime.

Carlos Paredes disliked this status and preferred not to talk about his time in prison, saying that there were people who suffered more than him.

Carlos Paredes was reinstated to his previous job in the Hospital de Sao Jose shortly after the revolution.

Carlos Paredes remained a member of the Portuguese Communist Party until his death.

Carlos Paredes was accompanied by Fernando Alvim on the classical guitar.

Carlos Paredes composed the soundtrack for the 1963 film Os Verdes Anos, directed by Paulo Rocha.

Carlos Paredes selected the soundtrack for the group following shows.

Carlos Paredes participated in several events promoted by the Portuguese Communist Party, playing shows in Portugal and Eastern Europe.

Carlos Paredes's music was used in the television coverage of the country's first democratic elections for the Assembly of the Republic, in 1975.

Around 1975, Carlos Paredes was working on the successor for Movimento Perpetuo.

In 1983 Carlos Paredes released the live album Concerto em Frankfurt, recorded in a concert at the Frankfurt Opera.

In 1990 Carlos Paredes released an album with American jazz bassist Charlie Haden, titled Dialogues.

Carlos Paredes's last show was in October 1993 at the Aula Magna, in Lisbon, accompanied by Luisa Amaro.

The disease forced Carlos Paredes to stop playing guitar, thus ending his career as a musician.

Carlos Paredes was interned at the Fundacao-Lar Nossa Senhora da Saude, in Campo de Ourique, Lisbon, until his death.

Carlos Paredes lays buried at the Prazeres Cemetery, in Lisbon.

Carlos Paredes is remembered for his humbleness by those who knew him.

Carlos Paredes refused to solely make a living as a musician and kept his job in the radiography archive of the Hospital de Sao Jose until the age of 61, stating that he "loved music too much to live from it".

Carlos Paredes is regarded as one of the greatest Portuguese guitarists of all-time and a genius of the Portuguese guitar.

Carlos Paredes is frequently called "The master of the Portuguese guitar" and "The man with the thousand fingers".

In 1992, Carlos Paredes was awarded the title of Commander of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword by the President of Portugal.