Fado Star Carminho to Kick-off US Tour at Chicago’s City Winery

Carminho, the Portuguese fado singer and 2023 Latin Grammy nominee who was featured in Yorgos Lanthimos’s Oscar-winning film Poor Things, will be performing at City Winery Chicago (1200 W Randolph St.) on November 20 at 7:30 p.m. as part of her U.S. tour with stops also in New York, St. Louis, and Washington D.C., where she will be featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. This concert is produced by the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago in partnership with City Winery. Tickets are available at citywinery.com.

Carminho’s U.S. tour comes on the heels of her newest EP released Oct. 11 on Nonesuch Records, titled Carminho at Electrical Audio, which was recorded with legendary Chicago Producer Steve Albini in his famous Electrical Audio studio. The four-song EP showcases the iconic producer’s dexterity in the studio and his distinctive style and vision, refreshing the rich heritage of fado. 

Following her featured performance in Poor Things, where Carminho performed a fado song in a scene with Emma Stone, and the release of her album, Portuguesa, Carminho embarked on a U.S. tour in the fall of 2023. On a day off in Chicago, she visited Albini’s Chicago studio. Carminho knew of Albini (who passed away suddenly in the spring of 2024) as the producer of many popular albums by artists like The Pixies, PJ Harvey, and Nirvana. But she did not know what her collaboration with him would bring. 

“Anyone who had worked with Steve Albini knows of his humble authenticity and dedication towards perfecting raw sound, and he made the recordings sound as if we were performing in a fado house in Lisbon,” said Carminho. “Our creative process on this EP was one of true collaboration. Albini’s genius influence is inescapable. While the music industry has lost an incredible talent; in a way, he lives on in our songs.” 

Carminho’s band joined her in the studio, and they spent the day working with Albini, with instruments including the mellotron, lap steel, and electric guitar, which she added to the traditional Portuguese instruments in her previous album, Portuguesa, and has found it to be very effective in her live fado performances. Albini proved to be a perfect producer for the music they recorded that day, exploring what Carminho calls the “punk side” of her multifaceted musical personality. His musical wizardry permeates the new album.

Carminho is known as one of the most influential Portuguese fado singers, recognized for her remarkable voice, talent, songwriting and unwavering artistic dedication. Her childhood fado roots are reflected in her music, respecting the traditional language and the truth of the words of traditional fado and her original songwriting. 

Carminho has performed alongside Coldplay at the band’s Lisbon concert, toured with Brazilian legend Caetano Veloso, and had the honor of performing her original composition “Estrela” for the Pope for Lisbon’s World Youth Day. Throughout her career, she has recorded with renowned artists including Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Nana Caymmi and Marisa Monte. Her song that she performed in Poor Things, “O Quarto,” was on former President Barack Obama’s 2024 summer songs playlist.

Carminho has toured extensively throughout Europe and Latin America, including a recent Brazil tour, along with concerts in the U.S. and Canada. Her U.S. solo tour begins November 18 with a stop at NPR to record a Tiny Desk Concert. She performs in New York at Town Hall on November 24, and in St. Louis at The Sheldon on November 21.