Camane

Closely associated with singer/songwriter José Mário Branco, Camané is a Portuguese fado singer who reached chart-topping success in 2008 with his fifth album, the critically acclaimed smash hit Sempre de Mim. Born Carlos Manuel Moutinho Paiva dos Santos in 1967 in Oeiras, Portugal, he made his album debut in 1995 with Uma Noite de Fados on EMI. The album was produced by Branco, a well-regarded veteran Portuguese singer/songwriter who also produced Camané’s next three albums: Na Linha da Vida (1998), Esta Coisa da Alma (2000), and Pelo Dia Dentro (2001). Camané broke through to mainstream commercial success in 2003 with Como Sempre…Como Dantes, a live album that reached number 16 on the Portuguese albums chart. A best-of compilation, The Art of Camané: The Prince of Fado (2004), was released afterward. Several years passed before Camané released his next studio album, Sempre de Mim (2008), once again produced by Branco. Eagerly awaited and critically acclaimed, Sempre de Mim topped the albums chart for three weeks and spent nine weeks overall in the Top Ten. The Top 20 hit live album Camané ao Vivo no Coliseu -- Sempre de Mim (2009) was released in its wake. ~ Jason Birchmeier