The exhibition, running until January 18, 2026, is part of the Centennial Celebration Program for the birth of Carlos Paredes, curated by Ivan Dias and António Manuel Nunes.
The Fado Museum stated in a press release, “Creator of an original repertoire elevating the expressive possibilities of the Portuguese guitar to the highest level, Carlos Paredes influenced generations of musicians both nationally and internationally, contributing to the instrument’s popularization among wide audiences.”
The museum has disclosed that the exhibition will feature guitars belonging to Carlos Paredes, bequeathed to the Fado Museum, the Lisbon Museum, and the Jerónimos Monastery. Additionally, it will showcase several photographs, including some never-before-seen by Carlos Gil from the 1970s.
Concert programs, plays scored by Paredes, and his complete discography will also be on display.
Initiated in January with programming commencing a month later, the centenary celebrations of Carlos Paredes include over a hundred concerts, seminars, films, and workshops.
The celebration program comprises three key elements: Performative acts with spectacles, research focus with publications and seminars, and educational activities with workshops, visits, and tours.
The National Sound Archive plans to preserve and catalogue Carlos Paredes’ phonographic work by collecting “sound supports and sound documents” and developing a discography of his works to be made available online.
By the year’s end, two seminars are anticipated at the Fado Museum in Lisbon, along with screenings of several film and audiovisual projects, including documentaries by Graça Castanheira and Ivan Dias.
The detailed program is available at www.centenariocarlosparedes.pt.
Carlos Paredes was born in Coimbra on February 16, 1925, and passed away in Lisbon on July 23, 2004.
Son of the guitarist Artur Paredes, another prominent name in Portuguese guitar music, Carlos Paredes continued the family legacy of musicians spanning generations, staying true to traditional styles by playing the Coimbra guitar, tuned to Coimbra fado. However, he introduced a personal touch that brought him to perform on prestigious international stages and collaborate with other major artists, such as the American jazz double bassist Charlie Haden.
Primarily residing in Lisbon, the city inspired many of his compositions. “Verdes Anos,” one of his well-known pieces, was composed for the film of the same name by Paulo Rocha, a landmark in the Portuguese New Cinema of the 1960s.
An anti-fascist, he opposed the dictatorship and was imprisoned by the PIDE at the end of the 1950s. Until the 1990s, he balanced his guitar playing with his work as an administrative officer at São José Hospital in Lisbon.
In December 1993, he was diagnosed with myelopathy, a disease affecting his bone structure that prevented him from playing the guitar.
