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“The velvet of the voice, the silk of the lyrics”
Tony Camara was born in Toronto , Canada . Tony’s parents, Lurdes Faria and Antonio Tabico, are long time performing singers and vaudeville artists. Antonio Tabico is one of the great popular Azorean artists of the XX century. Tony was introduced to music at a very early age. During Tony’s childhood, he accompanied his parents when they travelled to various cities across Portugal and North America to entertain many immigrant communities. In fact, one week after being born, his parents were back on tour using a Portuguese guitar case as a crib for Tony.
Soon thereafter Tony proved to have an inherent ability to perform in public. Tony performed for the first time at the age of five in front of a sold out crowd of 2000 spectators at Durfee High School Auditorium, Fall River , Massachusetts . Reviews of his performance were so overwhelming that he would later promote the famous “Chaves Super Market” in Fall River , Massachusettes through commercial advertisements.
Tony’s upbringing has profoundly influenced his fondness of music and the Portuguese culture. Through this love for the Portuguese culture, Tony has had the privilege of crossing paths with many great Portuguese artists such as Carlos Do Carmo, Paulo de Carvalho, Alcindo Carvalho, Fernando Machado Soares, Padre Borga, Carlos Alberto Moniz, Carmin Silva, Lindo Mar Castilo, Fontes Rocha, Celeste Rodrigues, and Camané.
Some highlights of Tony’s career include:
Awarded Best Vocalist at CIRV 2006 Song Festival
Singing at the historical “Coliseu
Micalense ”, São Miguel
, Azores , for the “Festa dos
Santos Populares.
Entertaining the President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio, in Portugal and the Portuguese Secretary of external affairs, Jose Lello, in Bermuda . Touring the coast of California U.S.A. with the Caravana Açores. |
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Being a member of the “Açorianissima” tour in North America . Being invited to open a fado night for Camané, the “prince of Fado”.
Tony is known to be a proud Canadian who embraces his Portuguese roots. This is evident in all of his albums and performances. Remaining true to his cultural roots, Tony’s first solo CD, released in 1999, entitled “ Coimbra ” , was dedicated solely to fados from the historical city of Coimbra , Portugal . In 2003, Tony composed and wrote songs in Portuguese on his second album “Dei Volta”. And in 2005, Tony completed “Eu e o Fado”, a CD with many of the fados he grew up listening to.
Tony’s music is continually being played across
North America, Portugal, Switzerland and many other countries
around the world; on multicultural radio and television
stations. Tony has proven to have a unique voice and is
now a well-known singer and “fadista” from
Luso-Canadian Ontario. Tony has succeeded in developing
expertise in the two distinct styles of fado – from
Coimbra , developed and performed by male university students,
and from Lisbon , traditionally sung by inner-city dwellers
of both sexes. He is unique in Canada and part of a rare
breed in Portuguese music.
He continually receives praise for promoting and supporting the Portuguese culture through his community work and musical endeavours. His unique performance style makes Tony Camara a distinctive cultural icon in the Portuguese-Canadian music scene.
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