The book, published by 100Folhas, is described as “more than a visual record,” being an “intimate portrait of the rapport between two creators connected in art and life,” as stated in its synopsis.
Rita Carmo first photographed Sérgio Godinho in November 1993 at the São Luiz Theatre in Lisbon, with several images from that concert featured in the book.
Since then, Carmo notes in the preface that she has photographed the musician “almost every year, at concerts or in portraits,” and “sometimes several times in the same year.”
Also in the preface, Sérgio Godinho mentions that Rita Carmo has “undoubtedly” photographed him the most over the years, in “various situations such as portraits, stages, unusual scenarios, and scenes shared with other musicians.”
The most recent images included in the book were taken in June of this year during a session at Sérgio Godinho’s home, promoting his latest book of short stories, ‘Como se não houvesse amanhã.’
Sérgio Godinho, who turned 80 in August, is regarded as one of the pioneers of Portuguese music over the past 50 years.
Born in Porto, he studied Psychology in Geneva for two years, worked as a theatre actor, and began songwriting at the end of the 1960s. His first album, ‘Os Sobreviventes,’ was released in 1971, followed by more than 30 others to date.
His latest album of original work, ‘Nação Valente,’ was released in 2018.
Though primarily known for his music, Godinho has also explored creative writing across other genres such as theatre, film scripts, children’s fiction, poetry, and short stories, with titles like ‘O Pequeno Livro dos Medos,’ ‘O Sangue por Um Fio,’ and ‘Vida Dupla.’
In 2016, he published his first novel, ‘Coração mais que perfeito,’ followed by ‘Estocolmo’ in 2019 and ‘Vida e Morte nas Cidades Geminadas’ in 2024.
Rita Carmo, born in Leiria in 1970, graduated in Communication Design from the Lisbon School of Fine Arts and began her career as a photographer, mainly in the music scene, in 1992 at the then-weekly Blitz, where she is currently a resident photographer.
Her photographs have appeared in several Portuguese and foreign publications, including Expresso, O Independente, Visão, se7e, Melody Maker, and Rockin’on. She has held several individual and group exhibitions.
Rita Carmo has published three books: ‘Altas-Luzes’ (2003), ‘Bandas Sonoras – 100 Retratos na Música Portuguesa’ (2013), and ‘Jorge Palma por Rita Carmo’ (2023).
