CAMANÉ & DEAD COMBO

Camané, “The Prince of Fado,” and Lisbon’s hip world/jazz duo Dead Combo
Debut at NJPAC’s Prudential Hall

Visionary double-bill brings Portugal’s groundbreaking stars together for one-time event on Sunday, March 15, at 7pm

Camané, with over 6 million CDs sold, is first male fado star to appear at NJPAC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaWhCGTnvAQ

Dead Combo, Portugal’s edgy instrumentalists, makes U.S. debut following buzz from Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations: Lisbon”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B8JAuRHftU

The hallowed traditions and exciting future of the dramatic, passionate fado music of Portugal will come together in Newark, N.J., on March 15 when NJPAC presents an unprecedented double bill featuring Camané and Dead Combo, two of that European nation’s greatest stars, in concert at Prudential Hall. Camané, who will be making the only NYC-area stop on his first major U.S. tour, has been called “one of his generation’s leading fado singers” by The New York Times, with CD sales in the millions. Dead Combo, sharing the bill, is a forward-thinking instrumental duo that’s building a new modern hybrid sound atop the venerable fado tradition.

Both Camané and Dead Combo have enjoyed high-profile exposure in recent years. Camané is the focus of last year’s documentary film Fado Camané, directed by Bruno Almeida (who previously directed The Art of Amália, based on the life and work of the iconic fado singer Amália Rodrigues). And Dead Combo made a highly touted appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s smash global culinary program No Reservations in 2012. Their music will be featured in the forthcoming Will Smith film Focus, which will surely extend their visibility worldwide.

The NJPAC engagement marks the only joint appearance by the two breakthrough Portuguese artists during their current, otherwise separate U.S. tours. The program is in keeping with the artists’ shared mission of honoring fado’s revered traditions while opening the music to new generations.

The visionary double bill also marks a first for Newark’s NJPAC: never before has the venue, located in the heart of one of the largest Portuguese communities in the U.S., presented a male fado singer—every major female star of fado, including Mariza and Dulce Pontes, has performed at the world-class community cultural center. Camané is a rare male superstar within the female-centric fado world, following in the footsteps of the legendary male fado singer Carlos do Carmo.

A deeply emotional and elegant vocalist, Camané—born Carlos Manuel Moutinho—is a bona fide superstar at home, having sold more than six million recordings in a country whose population exceeds just 10 million. In a sign of his growing U.S. success, Camané will be the first fado singer to perform on NPR’s hugely popular Tiny Desk Concert series, taping March 5th.

Camané’s rise to massive popularity in Portugal began in 1979 at age 12 when he won the prestigious Grande Noite do Fado (Great Fado Night) honor. Soon he was selling albums in increasingly greater quantities and filling concert halls not only in Lisbon and other Portuguese cities but throughout Europe. Camané’s several million-selling albums include 2008’s Sempre De Mim, 2010’s De Amor e Dos Dias and the 2013 collection O Melhor de Camané: 1995-2013.

Dead Combo—at its core Tó Trips (electric guitar, acoustic guitar) and Pedro V. Gonçalves (double bass, electric guitar, melodics, keyboards) and often augmented by other musicians—came together in 2002 after its two permanent members contributed to a tribute album to the late Portuguese guitarist Carlos Paredes. Their music is a contemporary mix of fado, Ennio Morricone-inspired guitar twang and both suave and edgy elements of jazz, alternative and world music, best exemplified on their recent album release, last year’s A Bunch of Meninos (meninos=boys). Their appearance on Bourdain’s No Reservations: Lisbon brought Dead Combo to the attention of American audiences.

Camané and Dead Combo are not only mutual admirers of one another but have collaborated on recordings, including “Inquietação,” “Vendaval” and “Ouvi o texto muito ao longe.”

Now, for the first and only time in America, these two giants of contemporary Portuguese music will be appearing on the same stage, exclusively at NJPAC’s Prudential Hall on March 15th.

Camané / Dead Combo
Sunday March 15, 2015 at 7:00pm
NJPAC Prudential Hall
1 Center Street
Newark, NJ 07102
Tickets: $29-$69
For more details and to purchase tickets go to:
http://www.njpac.org/events/detail/camane

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR ITINERARY

Camané:

March 5 Washington, DC NPR “Tiny Desk Concert” taping
March 5 Washington DC Kennedy Center
March 7 New Bedford, MA Zeiterion Theatre
March 13 Toronto, CN Winter Garden
March 14 Montreal, CN Theatre Outremont
March 15 Newark, NJ NJPAC Prudential Hall
March 19 San Francisco, CA SFJAZZ Ctr Miner Aud
March 20 Vancouver, BC Kay Meek Center

Dead Combo:
March 6 Portland, OR Alhambra Theater
March 7 Seattle, WA Triple Door
March 10 Vancouver, BC Electric Owl
March 12 Montreal, CN Bar Le Ritz
March 13 Quebec, CN Palais Montcalm
March 14 New York, NY Joe’s Pub
March 15 Newark, NJ NJPAC Prudential Hall

NY TIMES review of Camané:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/05/arts/music/camane-sings-fado-at-bam-in-next-wave-festival-review.html?_r=0

MUSIC DOWNLOADS:
Camané – Do Amor e dos Dias CD (mp3 version)
https://www.hightail.com/download/UlRRSU5BTXZreEJ1a3NUQw

Dead Combo – A Bunch of Meninos CD (mp3 version)
https://www.hightail.com/download/UlRRSU5BTXZPSHptcXNUQw

ADDITIONAL VIDEOS:
Camané: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J-3HCCNr38
Dead Combo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FIZclm8l3s