At 17, his love for music led him to form a musical group playing traditional Portuguese music, under his own name. This led to his first appearance on Portuguese national radio, soon followed by others. He moved to Mozambique to complete his military service, and there participated in a band organized within the Army.  He remained in Mozambique after completing his military service. By 1972, he was known as "the king of fado in Mozambique." His first record included "Guitarra toca baixinho" ("Guitar, play softly").

Following the independence of Mozambique from Portuguese rule, he returned to Portugal and recorded "Até o Rei ia ao Fado"--a considerable hit that led him to play in various fado houses.

In 1982, he began a long tenure at Sr. Vinho, a highly regarded Lisbon fado house under the direction of Maria da Fé, where he remained until 2008. During this period, Carlos Macedo toured throughout Portugal, Europe and South America, accompanying Maria da Fé and also singing.

Macedo recounts a memorable 1984 concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, held as part of a program denoted "Bridging cultures between Brazil and Portugal." One night, Maria da Fé asked Carlos Macedo to substitute for her briefly while she changed her costume. He did so -singing three fados- and was very well received by the public. Carlos Macedo speaks fondly of this time, remembering the favorable reception he received from the Brazilian press and from fellow artists in the country.



By 1991, Carlos Macedo had recorded eight records and accompanied other fadistas on innumerable other records. He traveled widely, playing in Brazil, Spain, The Netherlands, Canada, Belgium and France. In 1998, he played on the first stage at "Expo 98" in Lisbon for one week. In 2000, he played with Argentina Santos at the Coliseu de Recreios in Lisbon. Later that year he played at an important concert in Paris, organized under the auspices of UNESCO, with Mariza, Maria da Fé, Jorge Fernando, Cristina Branco, Argentina Santos and Herman José.



In 2000 he released "Este Meu Fado," on the Strauss label, a record produced by Maria de Lourdes de Carvalho. It was presented in 2000 at the Lisbon Fonoteca (6 July), all FNACs, Centro Cultural de Belém (6 March), Casino Póvoa de Varzim (April 2001),

He followed this period with the recordings "Fado," "Carlos Macedo" and "Desejos".

In October 2002, he appeared at the Colette Besson Ozoir-la-Ferriére Hall in France with the fadista Ana Moura.

He was honored in 2006 by Lousado, his home city, by the festival commission of the "Romaria Nova", and remains strongly connected to the city. He was invited by the Bishop of Leiria, António Marto, to sing "O Milagre Que Pedi" ("The miracle I asked for") and "Ser Peregrino" ("To be a pilgrim"), two songs connected to the message of the Virgin Mary at Fátima. He sang in October 2007 at the Pastoral Center of Paul VI, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the appearances of the Virgin Mary at Fátima. He performed on 24 January 2009 at the Casa das Artes in Vila Nova da Famaliação.

On 22 April 2010 he presented "Entre Nós o Fado" at the Fado Museum in Lisbon, and again on 26 May 2010 at the Casa das Artes in Vila Nova da Familiação. His work is now distributed by Metro-Som.