CARLOS
CINDY
THE TOWN HALL & Liv E SOu N d S PRESENT
CARLOS d O CARMO
W ITH S PECIAL Gu EST
CELESTE RO d RIGUES
F EAT u RING
J OS é m a N uel NetO Portuguese Guitar
c a R lOS m a N uel pRO e N ça Classical Guitar
Da N iel p i N tO Acoustic Bass
pa R t OF Fa DO Fe S tival NY & Newa RK
Portuguese singer Carlos do Carmo stands at the center of much of fado’s history over the last 50 years, a singular voice that has resonated with generations of listeners throughout the world and which will be heard in his Town Hall debut in New York City on April 7, 2018. Carlos do Carmo will be joined by special guest Celeste Rodrigues, a singer who, at 95 years of age, is regarded within Portugal as one of fado’s most vital and vibrant links to its distant past.
The extraordinary career of Carlos do Carmo has included dozens of albumlength recordings and thousands of performances for audiences worldwide, drawing on a deep and highly influential repertory of fados that speak of love, loss and the eternal enigma of Portuguese saudade. His accomplishments have been recognized through multiple national and international awards, including a Latin GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, citing him as “one of the most iconic voices of Portuguese music.”
Carlos do Carmo’s professional career began at age 23 when he performed at his family’s storied fado house, O Faia, located in the Lisbon neighborhood of Bairro Alto. In the ensuing 50-plus years, his recorded and live output has been prodigious. Even the 10-CD collection 100 Canções (2010) can only be viewed as a sampling of “the best of the best.”
His landmark 1977 recording, Um Homem na Cidade , is a deeply affecting musical portrait of post-revolutionary Lisbon, with all of its glorious beauty, contradictions and mystery intact. The 1974 revolution had overthrown the regime linked to Europe’s longest-ruling dictator, António Salazar, and precipitated Portugal’s first steps towards modernization. As Carlos do Carmo remembers, “When the revolution came, the difference was total: you could breathe. There were no restrictions.” Widespread censorship and control in society had yielded to a more dynamic tension between the country’s ingrained conservatism and its emerging liberties of expression. Um Homem na Cidade captured this moment through haunting, ethereal works such as “Rosa da Noite,” “Fado do Campo Grande”, and the record’s title track.
The legendary singer’s many live recordings, most notably those commemorating the 25th and 35th years of his career, render not merely the high points--such as the songs “Canoas do Tejo,” “Loucura,” and “Lisboa Menina e Moça”--but also the template for the sound of contemporary fado. As Carlos do Carmo describes it, fado is “a mysterious and genuine song. To sing and to listen to fado you have to have heart and soul.” The music of fado -- strophic and flexible, resolutely traditional yet demanding innovation -- works best when the artists have lived within it, seen life through it, and explored how a single piece of music can filter the complete spectrum of human experience. Just as Carlos do Carmo has done.
The concert is also a singular opportunity to hear Celeste Rodrigues, who last performed in New York at Carnegie Hall in 2012 and is perhaps best known internationally as the sister of fado’s greatest diva, Amália Rodrigues. Paradoxically, she passes the nine-decade mark with no regard whatsoever for her age and with a seemingly infallible memory stretching unbroken from her childhood to today. She has lived in so many countries, and seen so many things, that perhaps it is no surprise that she flew to New York to spend this past New Year’s Eve as a guest of Madonna. Or that she speaks perfect English. Or that she prefers performing to recording. Or that she lives life on her own terms, with no worries for the future and certainly no apologies.
Celeste Rodrigues’ exalted stature within the Portuguese fado community is the result of over 70 years of devotion to the music. It has been a career lived overwhelmingly through live performance. Indeed, while her discography includes nearly 60 releases, many are singles and EPs, and -- with the exception of Fado Celeste (2007) -- almost all are exceedingly difficult to find. Despite her reluctance to record, many of the songs that are most closely associated with her sit firmly in fado’s canon, including “Lenda das algas”, “Marcha de Alfama” and “Saudade, vai-te embora.” She continues to sing in some of the most illustrious fado houses in Lisbon. Indeed, to appreciate her stature in the fado community, it’s enough to watch as, night after night, a startling variety of fado singers and musicians seek her encouragement, guidance and affection.
The challenge of assembling a show together from careers that stretch back more than 50 years is one that both singers readily accept. Invoking the vision of fado at its origins, as an intimate conversation between performer and audience, do Carmo says it simply: “Every concert is a gift we share with each other.” For the concert at Town Hall, a venue famed for the warmth and proximity of its sound, do Carmo promises, as always, his best -- along with a few surprises. As he says, “Nothing is taken for granted.”
The Fado Festival NY + Newark (fadofestival.net) is a celebration of the iconic Portuguese musical tradition that has ancient roots, but is ever moving forward. The festival delights from the traditional to contemporary, always in surprising ways. The Fado Festival is produced by Isabel Soffer/LiveSounds.org and is supported in part by the Consulates General of Portugal in New York and Newark, TAP Air Portugal, Museum of Fado, Camões Institute and the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Cover Photo: Carlos do Carmo © Feligenio Medeiros
Mr. & Mrs. Louis Aidala*
Sofia Annunziata
Sylvia Atkins**
Phyllis Barasch**
Justine Barrett
Lori Benton
Howard Berman**
Jane Bram*
Patricia Brown & Steve Rifkind*
Collin Burns*
Ralph Buultjens**
Alexander & Karen Callender*
Elinor & Ian Ceresney*
Leona Chanin**
Dr. Stuart Chassen*
Gloria & Irwin Cohen*
Penny & Marvin Cohen*
William Costigan
Trina DasGupta*
Shauna Denkensohn*
Sharon Dunn & Harvey Zirofsky
Robert Dwyer*
Betty W. Ellerin*
Robert E. Evanson*
Scott Evenbeck**
Hazel & Russel Fershleiser**
Caryl Field
Carol Foti
Dr. Charlotte Frank & Marvin Leffler**
Matthew Frank**
Michael & Anne Frank-Shapiro*
Adrienne Frosch*
Goldfarb & Fleece**
Dori Fromer & Harley Frank*
Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, PC**
David Fuchs*
Carmen Gaito
Yvette Geary & Robert Astrowsky*
Kathleen Germann
Michele Gerstel
Matthew Ginsburg*
Goldfarb & Fleece**
Roanne Goldfein
Barbara Gottlieb*
Patricia Green**
Agnes Gund**
Fran & Richard Habib*
Jill & Martin Handelsman*
Priscilla H. Hoffman*
Sandy & Alfred Horowitz*
Fern Hurst & Peter Rubin**
Anne Marie Iannizzi*
Dr. Elizabeth Iannizzi**
Adam Idleberg*
Stephen C. Jacobs**
Henry Johansson*
Robert Kaufman*
Patti Kenner**
Eric Krasnoff*
Paul Kronish*
John Kuehn
Jacqueline & Bruce Leffler**
Karin & Marc Leffler*
Ivy Beth Lewis, The IV Fund**
Daniel R. Lewis**
Jay L & Robin K. Lewis**
Paul & Florence Rowe Libin**
Erica & Paul Linthorst*
Local One, IATSE*
Arthur Loeb Foundation*
Colleen Lynch
Carol Marks & Tom Wirtshafter**
Karl Marquardt
Pamela Milam*
Paul Miles**
Andrew Miltenberg**
Nobuko Narita*
Dorinda J. Oliver**
Catherine Patterson
Catherine Randolph*
Rita Robbins**
Elaine Roman
Rhoda Rothkopf*
Kathleen Rosenberg**
Zita Rosenthal*
Lynda & Robert Safron**
Reshma Saujani
Roberta Schechter*
Roberta Schleicher*
Howard Schliff
Patricia M. & Brian T. Shea**
Victor & Susan Shedlin**
Sumana Setty
Constance Silver*
Shamina Singh*
Kimberly Smith
Madhu Southworth*
Paige Price & Nevin Steinberg**
Judy & Michael Steinhardt**
Sudeepta Varma
Larry Unger**
Daniel Wacks*
George Wein*
Weston Wellington*
Nancy Whitson-Rubin
Christine Williams
Matt Howard & Melissa Wohlgemuth*
Robert F. Wright**
John Zapolski*
David Zaza
Zegar Family Foundation**
Susan Zohn*
*$500-999 **$1,000 +
MAJOR GIFTS, CORPORAT e , FOUNDATION & GO ve RNM e NT SUPPORT
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with The City Council. We would like to thank the following foundations, corporations, and government institutions for their support:
Acción Cultural Española
The Achelis and Bodman Foundation
The Actors Fund
Affiliated Advisors
Apple Inc.
Bank of America
Bruce Weber and Nan Bush Foundation
Cohn Foundation
Consolidated Edison Company of New York
Council Member Daniel Garodnick
Daryl and Steven Roth Foundation
Robert Evanson
Ford Foundation
Dr. Charlotte K. Frank
Garber Atlas Fries & Associates
Anne and Gordon Getty Foundation
John Gore/Key Brand
Entertainment
William T. Grant Foundation
The Hearst Foundations, Inc.
The Hurst Foundation
Israel Consulate
Jewish Communal Fund
JP Morgan Chase
Jujamcyn Theaters
Edythe Kenner Foundation
Lewis QVC Trust
Local One
S&P Global
Mex-Am Cultural Foundation
Morgan Stanley
Nederlander Organization
Nelson Foundation
Nesenoff & Miltenberg, LLP
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council
New York State Council on the Arts
Henry Nias Foundation
Office of the President, Borough of Manhattan, Gale A. Brewer
The Pinkerton Foundation
Pamela and Richard Rubinstein Foundation
Pricewaterhouse Cooper
The Reed Foundation
The Rudin Foundation
The Shubert Foundation
The Shubert Organization, Inc.
Theatre Refreshments
Ticketmaster
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Joyce and George Wein Foundation, Inc.
Wenner Foundation
Zegar Family Foundation
YOUNG PATRONS CIRCL e
Join the next generation of Town Hall supporters! Town Hall’s Young Patrons Circle is a special membership group, ages 21-40, that engages in social and educational activities through exciting events, performances, and programming. We are brought together by a shared love of the arts, a deep interest in social change, civic engagement, and a desire to become part of a growing group of like-minded individuals that support Town Hall.
For more information about the Young Patrons Circle, please contact Jacquie Maddox, Director of Development - development@thetownhall.org
Town Hall has played an integral part in the electrifying cultural fabric of New York City for more than 90 years. A group of Suffragists’ fight for the 19th Amendment led them to build a meeting space to educate people on the important issues of the day. During its construction, the 19th Amendment was passed, and on January 12, 1921 The Town Hall opened its doors and took on a double meaning: as a symbol of the victory sought by its founders, and as a spark for a new, more optimistic climate. In 1921, German composer Richard Strauss performed a series of concerts that cemented the Hall’s reputation as an ideal venue for musical performances. Since, Town Hall has been home to countless musical milestones: The US debuts of Strauss, and Isaac Stern; Marian Anderson’s first New York recital; in 1945, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker introduced bebop to the world; Bob Dylan’s first major concert in ‘63; and much much more.
Learn more. Visit thetownhall.org/tours
TH e TOWN HALL FOUNDATION
The Town Hall’s mission is to provide affordable world-class entertainment by new and established artists to a diverse audience; to inspire the youth of our community to appreciate and participate in the arts at The Town Hall and in schools through our Educational Outreach Program; and to preserve and enhance The Town Hall as a historic landmark venue for the enjoyment and cultural enrichment of generations to come.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
President
Tom M. Wirtshafter
President Emeritus
Marvin Leffler
Executive Vice President
Susan Zohn
TRUSTEES
Phyllis Putter Barasch
Robert E. Evanson
Anne Frank-Shapiro
Alfred H. Horowitz
Stephen C. Jacobs
Henry Johansson
Ted Lambert
Bruce S. Leffler
Marvin Leffler
Andrew T. Miltenberg
Rita Robbins
Madhu Southworth
Nevin Steinberg
Tom Wirtshafter
Susan Zohn
LIFE TRUSTEES
Leona Chanin
Eugene J.T. Flanagan
Claire G. Miller
Robert F. Wright
THE TOWN HALL STAFF
Executive Director
Lawrence C. Zucker
Artistic Director
M.A. Papper
Director of Administration,
Subscriptions & Membership
Helen Morris
Director of Development
Jacqueline Maddox
Director of Education and Community Outreach
Emma Klauber
Digital Media Manager
Alex Koveos
Development Associate Carman Napier
Vice President
Alfred H. Horowitz
Vice President
Bruce S. Leffler
Treasurer
Andrew T. Miltenberg
Secretary
Phyllis Putter Barasch
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Kathleen Rosenberg, Chair
Nancy Berman
Shauna Denkensohn
Sandy Horowitz
Fern Hurst
Elizabeth Iannizzi
Claire Miller
Zita Rosenthal
Rhoda Rothkopf
ARTS IN EDUCATION
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Dr. Charlotte K. Frank, Chair
Michael Fram
Dr. Sharon Dunn
Gary Hecht
Ernest Logan
Dr. Lisa Mars
Dr. Eloise Messineo
Dr. Pola Rosen
Leona Shapiro
Manuel Urena
George Young
Program Manager
Sara Minisquero
Administrative Assistant
Britni Montalbano
Chief Engineer
Steve Franqui
Box Office Manager
Angel Rodriguez
House Manager
Richard Looney
Technical Director
Bill Dehling
Art & Design
Leia-lee Doran
WARNING
The photographing or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographing or sound recording inside the theatre without the written permission of the management is prohibited by law. Violators may be punished by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for monetary damages.
FIRE NOTICE
The exit indicated by a red light and sign nearest to the seat you occupy is the shortest route to the street. In the event of fire or other emergency please do not run, WALK TO THAT EXIT. Thoughtless persons annoy patrons and endanger the safety of others by lighting matches or smoking in prohibited areas during the performances and intermissions. This violates a city ordinance and is punishable by law.
DIRECTORY OF THEATRE SERVICES
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES: 212.997.1003
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LOST AND FOUND: 212.997.0113
CELL PHONE POLICY
Cell phones should be silenced prior to the performance as a courtesy to the performers and audience.
Lobby Refreshment by Theatre Refreshment Company of NY
Bank of America applauds The Town Hall for bringing the arts to all
When members of the community support the arts, they help inspire and enrich everyone. Artistic diversity can be a powerful force for unity, creating shared experiences and a desire for excellence.
Bank of America recognizes The Town Hall for its success in bringing the arts to performers and audiences throughout our community.
Visit us at bankofamerica.com/arts
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