Carlos Menezes, the Madeiran guitarist, was born in 1920 in Funchal into a family steeped in musical tradition. His father played the trumpet in the Banda Filarmónica do Funchal Os Artistas, while his brother was a saxophonist and his grandfather built and played musical instruments.

Menezes began his musical journey at a very young age, taking up the guitar at just four years old, often practicing alongside his father, who accompanied him on the viola. His formal musical education expanded at the age of 15 when he joined Banda Filarmónica Os Artistas, the same band where his father performed. Here, he learned to play the trumpet and received initial training in music theory, although he continued to focus on the guitar.

His professional music career took a significant turn when he was invited to audition at the Hotel Belavista by the singer Max. During this audition, pianist Tony Amaral was present and was impressed by Menezes's performance, subsequently inviting him to join the ensemble Tony Amaral and His Boys.

While performing at the Hotel Belavista and at the boîte Flamingo for three years, Menezes sought to expand his musical horizons by listening to BBC programs, which introduced him to new musical styles and sounds. Inspired by these English music programs, he innovatively created an electric guitar by adapting a classical guitar with a small contact microphone connected to a 30-watt amplifier. This modification occurred during a time when electric guitars were not available for purchase in either Madeira or mainland Portugal.

In 1947, during a tour with Tony Amaral and His Boys in Lisbon, Menezes showcased his modified guitar, producing a novel sound that garnered considerable interest. At that time, local guitarists primarily used acoustic instruments without amplification. When Menezes presented his invention to a Lisboeta instrument maker, he faced skepticism regarding its practicality. Nevertheless, the anonymous craftsman from the music store Santos Beirão eventually constructed an electric guitar based on Menezes's design. A few months later, this guitar—bearing similarities to Menezes's modifications—was displayed in the shop window.

Despite his extensive musical knowledge and skills, Carlos Menezes was unaware of the commercial implications of his invention. The electric guitar entered the market successfully, achieving impressive sales, yet Menezes did not benefit financially from the commercial success built around his innovation. He did not seek any compensation for his idea and initially paid the instrument maker 1,000 escudos for the guitar—a significant sum at a time when the average daily wage was less than 100 escudos.

During his time in Lisbon, Menezes regularly performed with Tony Amaral and Max at some of the city's premier music venues, including Casino Estoril and the boîte Nina. Following their performances in Lisbon, Tony Amaral and His Boys were invited to perform in Madrid, where Menezes's electric guitar generated considerable anticipation.

Throughout his lengthy musical career, Carlos Menezes earned recognition as one of Portugal's foremost guitarists and a pioneer of jazz guitar in the country. His distinctive jazz sounds were primarily influenced by interactions with American military musicians stationed in the Portuguese capital.

(Author: Esteireiro, Paulo (2008). “Carlos Menezes”. In 50 Histórias de Músicos na Madeira. Funchal: Associação de Amigos do Gabinete Coordenador de Educação Artística.)