Choro Music

Upcoming Choro Events

2012-01-31T15:22:00.000+01:00

Marco Ruviaro sent us the above flyer, more info about Choro Intensif à Paris at Marco's

website, click here

The annual Choro workshop in Port Townsend Washington USA, at Fort Worden is scheduled at

April 11 - 15. Extensive info to be found following this link

Here's a video recorded last year featuring a Centrum Choro 2011 Student Band performing

Jacob do Bandolim's 'Doce de Coco'

Centrum Choro 2011 Student Band Doce de Coco from Al Bergstein on Vimeo.

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Jo

Tresafinado & Guests In Concert

2012-01-22T18:06:00.000+01:00

The Danish-Brazilian trio, Tresafinado (Pia Kaufmanas, (flute),Torsten Borbye Nielsen (g), Afonso Corrêa (perc)) has just been on tour in Denmark for concerts and conducting workshops at the coservatory performing and informing about choro. Tresafinado was accompanied by four Brazilian aces of choro at the tour: Mauricio Carrilho (violão 7 cordas), Luciana Rabello (cavaquinho), Pedro Aragão (bandolim, cavaco) and Nailor Proveta (clarinet). The tour was a follow-up of a co-work between Tresafinado and the mentioned Brazilian musicians in making of the cd, Lúdico, that was released last year and recorded in Rio at Acari Records' studio 2010. The cd has been reviewed in an earlier entry at this blog, click here

In 2008 Tresafinado was invited to participate in the ”IV Festival Nacional de Choro” in Brazil, which inspired guitarist Torsten Borbye Nielsen to compose several choros that were enthusiastically received by the Brazilian audience during the trio's performance and praised by the well known musician and producer, Mauricio Carrilho. The result of this was that Tresafinado was invited to Rio in March 2010 to record some of this material at the shown cd. The tour of Denmark in January 2012 presented music from the cd together with new compositions by Torsten Borbye Nielsen and Mauricio Carrilho. One of the concerts was recorded by Danish Radio and will be available in streaming audio at the DR website, check uploaded concerts here - I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the recorded concert, which took place in a location of my region (Tønder Museerne, arr. Tønderegnens Musikforening). The location was a perfect frame of the concert that had an audience of c. 80 attending individuals. The musicans and the audience had a positive and friendly contact right from the start and the performance gradually gained an intimate atmosphere and excited applause during the 2 hrs concert. - The concert was in 2 parts, and the progam of the performed music contained a repertoire reflecting the diversity of choro, both the historical dimension and the contemporary tradition of choro was presented by the seven skilled musicians. The program started with a performance of two pieces composed by guitarist Torsten Borbye Nielsen, "Lembrancas de São Pedro" and "Doctor Pedro", the last mentioned a first-time presentation. The ensemble continued with a reading of Jacob do Bandolim's "Vibracoes" featuring Pedro Aragão playing lead on bandolim and sharing solo with the flute and clarinet.

The program continued with a duo performance of "Choro No. 1" by Villa-Lobos featuring Torsten Borbye Nielsen on lead guitar accompanied by Mauricio Carrilho on 7-string guitar, then followed by an ensemble reading of "De bem com a vida", a composition by Luciana Rabello showcasting the cavaquinho as lead voice.

Next was a reading of "Arranca Toco", a choro by Jayme Florence (Meira) leaving space for exchanging of solo spots and the performance then continued with "Maxixe pro Afonso", a composition by Mauricio Carrilho dedicated to the percussion player of the ensemble, Afonso Corrêa. First part of the concert ended with two more first-time presentations, "Reflexão" by Torsten Borbye Nielsen and Maurico Carrilho's "Choro na Danmarks Radio".

The second part of the concert started with three pieces by Torsten Borbye Nielsen from the Lúdico-cd, "Pipocou!", Valsa pro Proveta" and "Maria" - the valsa is dedicated to Nailor Proveta, who was featured soloist on clarinet.

Next followed three up-tempo choros, "A Fiddler in Rio" by Svend Asmussen, "Remexendo" by Radamés Gnattali and "Bole-Bole" by Jacob do Bandolim - all three pieces well performed and causing a big applause from the audience. The last three pieces of the program had yet another first-time presentation by Torsten Borbye Nielsen, a maxixe titled"Cancão Feliz", further Mauricio Carrilho's "Koala" and the title tune of the mentioned cd, "Lúdico". The performance of the music presented in the concert was very well and enthusiastically received by the audience, the standing applause at the end of the program called for an 'extra' and the ensemble payed off with an excellent performance of Pixinguinha's "Cochiando" - a successfull concert had come to an end, luckily saved by Danmarks Radio that broadcasted the recorded full concert on January 18th and will have it uploaded in streaming audio at their website , see above for the link.

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Personally, I like to express my gratitude to Tresafinado and their Brazilian guests for a great concert, it's a sheer joy to experience choro played live, and when the performance is on such a high level as produced by these very skilled musicians you cannot find a better expression of gratitude than: Thank you! - I also like to thank Mauricio, Luciana, Pedro and Proveta for our small conversation during the break and after the concert, great meeting you in person and hoping to keep in contact. Thanks again!

Howard Alden Plays Jacob do Bandolim, Live

2011-12-25T15:00:00.007+01:00

Several jazz musicians have been attracted by Brazilian music styles like the samba and the bossa nova, recently the Brazilian choro has also found followers among established performers of American jazz. Here we can document the inspiration drawn from choro by inserting a couple of video fragments from a jazz concert earlier this year. The well known jazzguitarist Howard Alden and his ensemble including Duke Heitger, trumpet; Dan Barrett, trombone; Dan Block, Scott Robinson, reeds; Jon Burr, bass; Pete Siers, drums, devoted a part of their live performance to music by Jacob do Bandolim. - Here is first a trio version of Jacob's "Simplicidade"

Next video features full ensemble playing Jacob's "Benzinho"

Duke Heitger, trumpet, is featured soloist on "Mighalas de amor"

The set devoted to Jacob do Bandolim closes with an ensemble version of "Assanhado"

A Merry Christmas - Feliz Natal! to readers and followers of this blog.

Jo

New Documentary On Choro - Nas Rodas do Choro (dvd, 2011)

2011-12-02T10:59:00.003+01:00

Throughout the story of choro the meeting of chorões (choro musicians) at rodas do choro (social and musical, informal sessions) has been a crucial affair to evolve and keep the music alive. The roda is the heart of choro tradition and practice involving both the experienced and amateur musician - no restrictions as to age, skin colour, sex or ability. The roda is a truly democratic union of musicians getting together to play together and having a good time in an informal setting that most often also attract an audience of friends, family and admirers.- Earlier this year a new dvd, the shown Nas Rodas do Choro (Biscoito Fino), documenting the importance of the roda de choro in Brazilian tradition was released. The documentary was filmed and directed by Milena Sá between 2004 and 2008, the film was launched 2009 and the dvd-edition July this year. In about 50 minutes, the film features meetings between chorões mostly in the city of Rio de Janeiro (RJ). The narrative fragments are accompanied by musical examples recorded at rodas do choro with testimonials from musicians about their relationship with choro and the roda. The documentary thus turns on the sound and testimonials from the likes of Nilze Carvalho (cavaquinho, bandolim), Joel Nascimento (bandolim), Odette Ernest Dias (flute), Deo Rian (bandolim), Mauricio Carrilho (violão), Zé da Velha (trombone), Silverio Pontes (trumpet) and Luciana Rabello (cavaquinho). The film also focuses on contemporary groups - such as Choro na Feia and Trio Madeira Brazil - while recalling the importance of veterans like Epoca de Ouro, that rescued choro from oblivion after the passing of Jacob do Bandolim and secured its perpetuation during the 1970s revival. - Testimonials on the importance of the roda like "There's no other way to learn choro. It is transmitted in this way, not much to theorize about, what counts is to sit and play together" (Luciana Rabello) underlines the informal setting and points to a way of learning that dissolves a coventional hierarchy between 'teacher' and 'student' in favour of the pleasure of participating in the roda. The music unites young and old, amateurs and experienced in a mutual spirit leaving space for improvisation and experiments of the moment - a true example of 'having fun' and learning at the same time.- The documentary has subtitles in English and French, I should have liked to insert video examples from the film, but I did not find any uploaded. Instead I'll insert a video filmed recently at a roda de choro featuring one of the participating musicians in Milena Sá's documentary. Here's a fragment featuring Joel Nascimento (bandolim) a.o. playing "Receita de Samba"

A roda de choro can be established anywhere, even in your own living room as part of a social meeting - here's an example featuring Ronaldo do bandolim (bandolim) playing together with Carlinhos Leite (violão) of Epoca de Ouro and a young Julião Rabello (violão 7 cordas), the tune is "Turbilhão de Beijos" by E. Nazareth

Bandolims!

2011-10-22T18:01:00.005+02:00

This time just two inserted videos from YouTube for you to enjoy, if you haven't found them yourself already.

The first video features Hamilton de Holande and Danilo Brito in a duo setting playing Jacob do Bandolim's 'Receita de Samba' backstage and then Ernesto Nazareth's 'Fidalgo' on stage from a live performance this summer

The second video features Dudu Maia on bandolim accompanied by Juninho Ferreira (sanfona/ accordeon), Fernando César (violão 7 cordas), Rafael dos Anjos (violão), Pedro Vasconcellos (cavaquinho), Valerinho (pandeiro) & Thiago Viegas (triângulo) recorded in Brasilia March 2010 - the tune played is a composition by Dudu Maia 'Não tem Coré-coré'

Jo

Transatlantico - New CD From Choro Bandido (UK)

2011-09-20T12:00:00.009+02:00

Some time ago we introduced the UK-based choro ensemble, Choro Bandido, and pointed you to the first cd-release by this English choro group. Choro Bandido was established in 2008 and members of the ensemble are: Alison Hopper (violin), Dave Anthony (cavaquinho), Brian Bull (violão 7 cordas) and Mick Pyke (pandeiro and percussion).

Just recently Choro Bandido has released the new cd shown above containing 14 tracks continueing the group's exploration of the Brasilian choro. The repertoire of the disc covers compositions by well-known choro composers/musicians like Ernesto Nazareth (Apanhei-te cavaquinho and Atlântico), Pixinguinha (Cochichando), Jacob do Bandolim (Assanhado, Receita de Samba and Santa Morena), Waldir Azevedo (Delicado, Carioquinha and Arrasta Pe), Altamiro Carrilho (Enigmático) and Jonas Silva of Epoca de Ouro (Meu Chorinho). There is also a composition by Ted Falcon (Tô Chegando), who has been mentoring Choro Bandido, and the last two tracks of the cd are not from the standard choro book, but may be considered related with the spirit of choro - a tune by Henry Mancini (Meglio Stasera) and Astor Piazzolla's famous Libertango. - The music is well performed generating a pleasant atmosphere of a roda de choro, most of the tracks have Alison Hopper playing lead voice on violin - Carioquinha has Dave Anthony on cavaquinho taking lead in this classic by Waldir Azevedo. The solid rhythm is provided by Brian Bull's advanced fretwork on violão 7 cordas, Dave Anthony's cavaquinho and Mick Pyke's various percussion. - The cd is available for purchase at the official web of Choro Bandido where you also have access to more info about the group including audio and video material. - Below I insert the video that was made to promote Choro Bandido's new cd, Transatlantico - enjoy this rendition of Waldir Azevedo's Delicado

To end this small review of the new cd by Choro Bandido, Transatlantico, I insert another video showing the ensemble in a live-performance of Jacob do Bandolim's classic, Noites Cariocas

Jo

Trio Baru - Alma Brasileira

2011-08-20T08:38:00.011+02:00

Recently the Brazilian Trio Baru released its first album under its own name, entitled Alma Brasileira. The Trio Baru was founded six years ago by three skilled Brazilian instrumentalists: Cavaquinho and guitar player Nelson Latif - acoustic guitar player João Bosco Oliveira and percussionist Rafael dos Santos.
Nelson Latif ( source: nelsonlatif.com)
Nelson Latif, born in Sao Paulo, was raised with Choro music, a music style that goes back to the 1870s when musicians in Rio the Janeiro developed this creative musical style. Some people put Choro music or Chorinho on a par with the early US jazz styles, like Ragtime and Dixieland music and that's not so strange as you can say that it has, more or less, the same roots and it developed in the same periods. Choro was primarily an instrumental form, and to a North American (and European) ear it might sound a litle like a small Dixieland jazz combo playing with strange rhythms, extreme melodic leaps, unexpected modulations, and occasional breakneck tempos. ( source: The Billboard Book of Brazilian Music.). When I first heard a Choro band ( Choro Brasil Scandinavia) at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 2005, improvising, playing together in a so-called Roda de Chora in a bar after their concert at Mandala, featuring members of the Choro Brasil Scandinavia and jazz guitarist Jacob Fischer, it felt as if the New Orleans spirit of the collective improvisation had re-borned, fresh and with an enthusiasm, I'd rarely heard in traditional jazz music now-a-days. Some friends, who visited the recently organized Roda de samba e Choro in Amsterdam, organized by Nelson Latif too, had that same experience.
Trio Baru: f.l.t.r.: Nelson Latif - Rafael dos Santos - Bosco Oliveira. (photo courtesy: Clausem Bonifacio)
Nelson Latif's trio combines Jazz and Choro and other Brazilian musical influences in his unique style. Nelson Latif moved to Amsterdam more then 20 years ago and the cavaquinho became his main instrument, although he loves to play the 7-string acoustic guitar, the violão de sete cordas, the v.7 which has an extra bass string ( usually tuned to C ), so it can used for bass lines too. Nelson Latif played and recorded with dozens of Dutch jazz musicians, like vocalist Joseé Koning and Joeri De Graaf ( they can be heard at the great album Chôro, samba e afins).
Bosco Oliveira, who plays the acoustic guitar, was born in Brasilia, and started to play the guitar eight years old - he graduated twenty years ago at the University of Brasilia and is an expert in the Spanish Flamenco guitar style - Rafael dos Santos is from São Luis and knows how to mix traditional Brazilian music with modern jazz styles.
Fragment of Heitor Villa-Lobos composition: Bachianas Brasileiras Nº 5 (source: Choro: A Social History of a Brazilian Music)
Nelson Latif writes in the liner notes that he wanted to make a survey of the different Brazilian music styles, as a trajectory of Brazilian instrumental music, hoping to take the listener on a little journey inside the sonorous realms of our people's imagination. The album contains a dozen tracks, most original compositions by great Brazilian composers, inspired by music styles like Choro: Waldir Azevedo, Ernesto Nazareth and Jacob do Bandolim - Bossa Nova: Baden Powell (de Aquinho) - Jazz-Fusion: Airto Mocedo and popular Brazilian music: Paulinho da Viola and Milton Nascimento. The Choro music revived during the 1950s and 1960s due to great musicians like Jacob do Bandolim and Waldir Azevedo, both present with two tracks. The tunes Nelson Latif and his Trio Baru selected are seldom heard, like Santa Morena and Alma Brasileira; the latter originally recorded by Jacob do Bandolim and his Regional do Canhoto in the 1950s. I personally liked the tune entitled Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5, a tribute to the Orchestral Suite #3 by Johann Sebastian Bach, composed in the 1940s by the great guitarist and composer Heitar Villa-Lobos.
Nelson Latif ( source: neslonlatif.com)
Nelson Latif released some more great albums like Movimento - the before mentioned Chôro, samba e afins, with guitar player Joeri de Graaf and the album Tribute to João Pernambuco, dedicated to the music of the legendary Brazilian composer and guitar player João Teixeira de Guimarães, better known as João Pernambuco.
If you love Brazilian (string) music in general and Choro music in particular, try to find yourself a copy by this great Trio Baru: Alma Brasilieira. You can get more info about how to obtain a copy at the Nelson Latif website.

Deze blog verschijnt in het Nederlands op de Keep Swingingblog.

Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl
Ask for the Keep Swinging news letter if you love to be informed about the Choro-Music blogs.

Roda de Samba e Choro

2011-06-27T15:01:00.006+02:00

Brazilian Summer Sessions
Nelson Latif
(Brazilian Cavaquinho player)
Nelson Latif is a Brazilian cavaquinho player and guitarist, who lives both in Brazil and Amsterdam and pointed me to a great Roda de Samba e Choro which is scheduled as part of the Brazilian Summer Sessions during the summer season in the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, the 2nd of July, 2011. Nelson Latif forwarded a small introduction about what a Roda de Choro is and he loved to share it with you at this Choro-music blog, which celebrates its 5th birthday this month.

A roda de samba e choro (photo courtesy Nelson Latif)
The Rodas de Samba e Choro are informal and unpredictable events, where musicians gather in a circle around a table to improvise samba and chorinho, combining personal and collective flair.
A roda de samba e choro (photo courtesy Nelson Latif)
From the raw drumming to the refined choro, from candomblé to capoeira, the roda is the most primordial format of the Brazilian cultural manifestations, a direct heritage of the Brazilian African roots.

The rodas de samba serve as schools for many Brazilian musicians as an open space where singers challenge each other, talent turns into legend, composers try out new creations and the Brazilian music renews itself.
A roda de samba e choro (photo courtesy Nelson Latif)

In the Brazilian Summer Sessions 2011, musicians from both nationalities will interpret traditional and modern themes and styles.
Singers and musicians from existing groups – or meeting for the first time – will bring to the Dutch audience the flavor and mood of this so important Brazilian way of experience popular music.
Nelson Latif and friends
Contact

Choro music in the Netherlands:
There are but few venues in The Netherlands where you can enjoy an original Brazilian Roda de Choro. In Rotterdam Marijn Van Der Linden organized two times a month ( the first and third Sunday) a Roda de choro in Taberna Tia Piri Piri and the 't Syndicaat in The Hague seems also a venue with regular Choro concerts. Please inform about the dates to come.
This Summer Nelson Latif organizes a roda de samba e choro at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. The concert has veen scheduled the 2nd of July, 2011.
Hans Koert
keepswinging@live.nl
Deze bijdrage wordt ook gepubliceerd op de Keep Swinging blog.

Nosso Choro

2011-06-20T14:30:00.008+02:00

This month it has been 5 years since the Choro-Music blogspot started. Co-editor of the blog and manager of the Keepswinging Website, Hans Koert, took the initiative to start the blog and persuaded me to contribute with entries on the music, we both share a passion for: the Brazilian choro. The actual background of the blog was the dvd-release of Mika Kaurismäkki's documentary 'Brasileirinho - Choro in Rio', which put us on the trail of exploring this fascinating music gradually by posting info on (some of) its story, performers and practice. As there wasn't a blog already dealing with choro - at least not in the English language, we thought it a good idea to select info in English to feed non-Portuguese speaking readers with our findings to support an interest in choro - as a small follow-up of Kaurismäkki's great documentary. We are fully aware that our knowledge on the subject is limited and may be considered insufficient compared to the works of serious scholars, our main intention has been and still is just to share our passion for the music with readers, who are looking for easily digestable info in English on different aspects of the Brazilian choro. This way the Choro-Music blogspot also could be labeled 'our choro' - in Portuguese: Nosso Choro - considering the fact that the entries always have a personal bias that we do not intend to hide, however, it should be to the benefit of the music or aspect of choro in focus, we hope.

To mark the 5 year anniversary of the choro-music blog I like to point you to a great cd by two European musicians. The cd, shown above, is properly titled 'Nosso Choro' and was released 2009 by Emmeciesse records. The fourteen tracks on the disc are performed by pianist Ivan Tibolla and Stefano Scutari, who plays both bandolim and violão - Tibolla also contributes on accordion, flute and percussion besides piano on some tracks that have overdub. Both performers are Italians, well-known and highly respected musicians on the contemporary Italian music scene. The 'Nosso Choro' cd is their first co-work dedicated to the Brazilian choro, both musicians are active in other fields of music as well.

According to a MySpace-profile, Ivan Tibolla was born in Belluno in 1975. He graduated as organ player and in organ music composition at the Academy of Music “B. Marcello” in Venice. After that he studied music composition as well as music improvisation. In the last few years he has come closer to the world of jazz and performs as a pianist participating in various settings and also has his own trio specializing in experimental jazz. Ivan Tibolla has his own website (- in Italian only) including dicography.

Stefano Scutari was born in Venice 1950 and had his first musical experiences with various rock bands in the sixties, later he began to lean towards classical guitar, studying with Tommaso de Nardis, a teacher in the “Benedetto Marcello” Conservatory in Venice. He then took part in various jazz guitar seminars held by a variety of different musicians (John Abercrombie, John Scofield, Larry Corryell a.o.). Lastly, he went on to develop a specific interest in Brazilian music, travelling often to Brazil where he was able to meet and play with musicians such as Sebastião Tapajos, Horondino Silva (Dino 7 cordas), Nana Vasconcelos, and others. He has headed a column on Brazilian music in an Italian magazine and has also recorded cds on his own. A profile including music samples is available at MySpace.

The mentioned 'Nosso Choro' cd contains the duo's renditions of classic choros such as "Tico tico no fúba", "Chochiando" and "Lamentos", Scutari has solo violão interpretations of "Sons de Carilhões" and "Odeon", but plays the bandolim in interplay with Tibolla. A selection of compositions by Jacob de Bandolim - "Doce de Coco", "Flamengo", "Santa Morena", "A Ginga do Manè" and "Noites Cariocas" - get a fair interpretation by the duo with elaborate improvisation by Tibolla showing off his jazzinfluence. Further, a solo reading of "Choro Pra Bisconce" - a choro composed by Tibolla; Scutari also has a couple of compositions, "Concolacao" and "Vals Sem Nome", performed on solo violão. And there is an example of the forró influence, "Lèo Estante", a composition by Tibolla, which has him playing accordion and percussion besides piano in overdub. The overall impression of the performed music is engaging and a great experience, a nice example of how the Brazilian choro is interpretated by two very skilled European musicians, highly recommended. - The cd may still be available from retailers, the tracks may also be purchased at iTunes, click here

Jo

Panorama Of Contemporary Choro

2011-05-20T20:27:00.005+02:00

Choro originated in Rio de Janeiro during the late 19. Century and soon spread all over Brazil thanks to the emergency of radio and record companies documenting the evolvement of this unique Brasilian music style. Choro had its hey days during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, when musicians and artists excelling in this kind of music were supported and encouraged by national programs of the government, however, a decline in interest of the public during the 1950s and 1960s threatened to leave the choro in oblivion. A revitalization of choro music was established in the 1970s through TV-sponsored nation-wide festivals, which attracted a new, younger generation of musicians. Thanks in great part to these efforts, choro music remains strong in Brazil today and the contemporary scene of choro musicians is as vital as ever.- A panorama of the contemporary choro scene in São Paulo has recently been produced and documented through a project initiated by local musicians, Roberta Valente and Yves Finzetto. The project was supported and covered by the State Secretariat of Culture of São Paulo and has resulted in a cd-recording and a concert program documenting the vitality of the contemporary choro scene in São Paulo. The project has its official website, to be accessed here

The aim of the project, named Panorama do Choro Paulistano Contemporâneo, was to bring notable local choro musicians from different generations together and invite them to produce new and original material for a cd-recording headed by a sextet especially selected for the project. The Sexteto Panorama (shown above) comprises of Alexandre Ribeiro (clarinet and bass clarinet), Gian Correa (violão sete cordas), Henrique Araujo (cavaquinho and bandolim), John Poleto (sax and flute), Roberta Valente (pandeiro, percussion) and Yves Finzetto (percussion). In total, thirty musicians have been involved in the recording of sixteen new compositions by Alessandro Penezzi, Arnaldinho Silva, Danilo Brito, Edmilson Capelupi, Edson José Alves, Everson Pessoa, Israel Bueno de Almeida, Izaías Bueno de Almeida, João Poleto, Laércio de Freitas, Luizinho 7 cordas, Maurílio de Oliveira, Milton Mori, Nailor Proveta, Ruy Weber, Thiago França, Toninho Ferragutti and Zé Barbeiro. Each of the sixteen tracks has guest performance of the composer with support by members of the initial sextet, the result of this co-operation is outstanding, a marvellous example of the diversity and vitality of the contemporary choro scene in São Paulo. All sixteen tracks are available in streaming audio at the official website of the project including detailed info on participating musicians, click here - Unfortunately, I have not found info on how and where to purchase the cd, but it may be announced later at the website, until then I recommend taking time to enjoy the published streaming audio in full length. - In March the cd project was presented at a concert performance with participation of all involved in the project, a part of the concert has been recorded and uploaded on YouTube. Below I'll insert a couple of the uploaded videos from the event. First, here is the initial Sexteto Panorama performing the classic "Tico-tico no fúba"

From the final of the concert all participating musicians are on stage performing the same tune - enjoy this and the available streaming audio at the official website of Panorama do Choro Paulistano Contemporâneo

Jo

Choro Day - Dia Nacional do Choro

2011-04-21T14:38:00.004+02:00

On the 4th of September 2000 an official document of the government in Brasil announced the 23th of April as Dia Nacional do Choro, the date was chosen in honor of choro icon Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho, better known as Pixinguinha, (April 23, 1897 - February 7, 1973). Choro Day is celebrated on Pixinguinha's birthday - not only in Brasil, but it has become a tradition all over the world where Brasilian culture is an integrated part of local festivites. I recommend to check out local media for info about arrangements in your area. - Here we will celebrate Choro Day by inserting some videos featuring music by Pixinguinha - hope you to enjoy

From a live performance at Instrumental SESC Brasil earlier this year Trio Madeira Brasil - Ronaldo do Bandolim (bandolim), Zé Paulo Becker (violão), Marcelo Gonçalvez (violão 7 cordas) - plays "Cochichando"

From a live performance at Instrumental SESC Brasil last year Danilo Brito (bandolim) and his conjunto - Luizinho 7 Cordas (violão 7 cordas), Alexandre Ribeiro (clarinet), João Camarero (violão), Milton Mori (cavaco), Rafael Toledo (pandeiro) - play "Ingênuo"

Finally, from the same live concert Danilo Brito and conjunto perform "Um a Zero"

Jo

Ademilde Fonseca - The Queen of Choro 90 Years Old

2011-03-21T12:07:00.004+01:00

Earlier this month Ademilde Fonseca (b 1921), 'The Queen of Choro', turned 90 years old - an event that we also like to mark at this blog. Ademilde Fonseca was one of the first vocalists to actually sing choro, a remarkable contribution to this mostly instrumental genre of Brazilian music. She had her debut as a recording vocalist 1942 with "Tico-tico no fúba" - the well known composition by Zequinha Abreu with added lyrics by Eurico Barreiros accompanied by the regional/conjunto of Benedito Lacerda, a smash hit, which granted her the title 'Queen of Choro'. During the 1940s and 1950s she consolidated her success with vocal versions of popular choros and related music of the time, and she performed and recorded regularly with the cream of Brazilian top-musicians - even after her 80 years of age. A selection of her 78 rpm records is available at Instituto Moreira Sales and a discography of this output may be accessed here. - We have earlier published a career profile in English, still available here.

Ademilde Fonseca's 90 years anniversary and 70 years in show-business was celebrated in a TV hommage presented by journalist and music critic Tárik de Souza on the program MPBambas at Canal Brazil some days ago, and there has also been arranged a tribute concert in Rio with participation of choro musicians and 'The Queen of Choro' herself. Unfortunately, no video documentation of these events has been uploaded yet, but I found a video from an earlier performance featuring Ademilde Fonseca and Eimar Delvino Barreto in a vocal duet singing "Tico-tico no fúba" - enjoy it below!

It's great to know that choro music has been enriched by the vocal contributions of a great artist still going strong. Congratulations, Ademilde Fonseca!

Jo

Lúdico

2011-02-21T12:38:00.011+01:00

New cd featuring the Danish-Brasilian trio Tresafinado is a magnificent example of the vitality of contemporary choro.

The Danish-Brasilian trio Tresafinado from Copenhagen is "(...) a rendezvous of three musicians: two classical musicians, flautist Pia Kaufmanas and guitarist Torsten Borbye Nielsen, and the Brazilian drummer and percussionist, Afonso Corrêa, who brings with him the wealth of Brazilian music with its vivacious, sensual rhythms" according to the official website of the trio

The trio presents its musical repertoire this way: "In a repertoire based on the Spanish and South-american music Tresafinado explores new possibilities, performing classical music together with other styles. The strong Spanish spirit of de Falla and the all-embracing musical language of Villa-Lobos is presented next to a Brazilian choro, a Venezuelian waltz or just a simple folksong." The trio was established 1998 and has performed with this repertoire that also was presented at Tresafinado's first cd titled 'Tresafinado - 3 Musicians'; audio examples available at the website, click here. - Tresafinado has also co-operated with larger ensembles and their second cd reflects this through recordings of religious music with participation of vocalists from Brønderslev Kirkes Pigekor; audio examples available here.
.In 2008 Tresafinado was invited to participate in the ”IV Festival Nacional de Choro” in Brazil, which inspired guitarist Torsten Borbye Nielsen to compose several choros that were enthusiastically received by the Brasilian audience during the trio's performance and praised by the well known musician and producer, Mauricio Carrilho The result of this was that Tresafinado was invited to Rio in March 2010 to record some of this material in the studio of Acari records. The recordings from this session are now available on the just released cd, Lúdico, shown below

The title of the cd, Lùdico, which also is the title of one of the featured compositions, means 'to play' or 'play together'. Trio Tresafinado is accompanied by three well known Brasilian musicians on several of the 16 tracks on the cd: Mauricio Carrilho, Pedro Aragão, Luciana Rabello, and there is a guest performance by Nailor Proveta on a couple of tracks as well. The cd is produced by Mauricio Carrilho in co-operation with the trio. The main part of the repertoire consists of choros or choro related compositions, nine of them composed by guitarist Torsten Borbye Nielsen and arranged together with Mauricio Carrilho: Lembrancas de São Pedro (TangoBrasileiro),"Helene"(Choro Cancão),"Graciosa"(Waltz),"Pipocou!"(Polka), "Maria" (Waltz), "Valsa pro Proveta" (Waltz),"Lùdico" (Choro), "Ricardo no choro" (Choro) and "Festa"(Choro). The cd has two compositions by Mauricio Carrilho: "Maxixe pro Afonso" (Maxixe) and "Koala" (a Toada-Lundu), a classic by Radamés Gnattali,"Remexendo" (Choro), arranged by Carrilho and finally outside the choro repertoire two tangos from Astor Piazolla's suite "Histoire du Tango: Bordel 1900 & Nightclub 1960" arranged by Afonso Corréa, and "Viento y Madera" by the Costa Rican composer Fidel Gamboa arranged by Tresafinado. The Scandinavian imprint is further expressed in a reading of "A Fiddler in Rio", a composition by the famous Danish jazz fiddler Svend Asmussen written in 1954 as a tribute to Jacob do Bandolim and here performed by Tresafinado accompanied by Pedro Aragão (bandolim), Mauricio Carrilho (violão 7 cordas) and Luciana Rabello (cavaquinho).- The performance of the music is flawless and generates an intimate atmosphere, everything is well arranged and executed to the benefit of the beauty of the compositions - a very successfull meeting of kindred spirits and great musicians across The Atlantic. As mentioned, the cd is recorded in Acari's studio in Rio in March 2010 and it was released January this year on Tresafinado's own label (Tresafinado Records, T 1001) in co-operation with Gateway Music.
The cd is available for purchase at the website of Tresafinado here and here; it may also be purchased from iTunes, here

Tresafinado has uploaded a video at YouTube with footage from the recording of the cd and featuring the audio of the title track, "Lúdico", inserted below to give you an impression of these highly recommended recordings - Enjoy!

Announcement: Roda de Choro, Milan 18. February, 2011

2011-02-11T17:18:00.003+01:00

More info, see www.marcoruviaro.com/

Jo

Desvairada

2011-01-26T11:39:00.007+01:00

Garoto (Anibal Augusto Sardinha, 1915-55) was a multi-talented musician playing various fretted instruments: banjo, cavaquinho, bandolim, violão, violão tenor and hawaiian guitar contributing on numerous recordings with his always elegant fretwork both as accompaniment and as a soloist. He also composed several pieces for the various fretted instuments he mastered, among his compositions, however, a single one stands out as an example of his deep roots in the choro tradition - the valse-choro "Desvairada" (- meaning 'wild' in English). "Desvairada" is a three part valse-choro played in 6/8 and has the form: ABBACCA, the piece containing several examples of appegios in double timing, very intricate to master. Garoto recorded the piece in 1950 for Odeon on a 78 rpm playing the bandolim, a video at YouTube has the original
audio as soundtrack to still photography -

"Desvairada" has since become a touchstone for choro instrumentists to master, especially among guitarists allthough the piece originally was designated for the bandolim according to the recording by Garoto himself (- he never recorded "Desvairada" playing the violão, only the inserted audio above by Garoto is available). You may also listen to the original recording by Garoto in streaming audio at Instituto Moreira Sales or from the compilation cd shown below

As said, "Desvairada" has become a touchstone for choro guitarists, one of the first guitarists to cut his teeth on the composition transcribed for guitar was Raphael Rabello, who recorded the piece in a duo set-up together with Radamés Gnatalli on the shown cd below

Raphael Rabello also recorded "Desvairada" in a duet with Dino Sete Cordas and he always had the tune as part of his standard book in live-performance, here's a magnificent example of Raphael Rabello playing "Desvairada" in an informal and private setting

In 1991 Paulo Bellinati recorded a cd devoted to the guitar works of Garoto, among the 24 pieces transcribed for guitar by Bellinati also was a recording of "Desvairada", probably the best known interpretation of the piece copied by numerous guitarists ever since with the guidance of Bellinati's published score. At YouTube you can watch several videos featuring various guitarists struggling to master the piece, one of my own favorite videos has Yamandú Costa playing the piece in a near to impossible version, here documented from a live-tv spot

To end this small entry on a famous tune, I insert a video from a live-performance featuring Alessandro Penezzi (violão), Daniel Brito (bandolim) and Rogério Caetano (violão sete cordas) playing "Desvairada" in a trio setting, from a tribute concert to Raphael Rabello - enjoy!

Jo

CARAIVANA!

2010-12-26T15:21:00.006+01:00

Last year Rio de Janeiro officially was elected the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games, the event took place in Copenhagen and the picture above shows a snap-shot of the enthusiasm of the Brasilian delegation when the result was announced. The large Brasilian delegation was headed by the president of the nation - the popular Mr. Lula - and representatives and officials of the Brasilian sport games, among these people the worldfamous football icon, Mr. Pelé, also participated. The Brasilians had made proper preparations for the victory of Rio de Janeiro as host city of the 2016 Olympic Games in competition with the city of Chicago, thus, the delegation also consisted of a band of musicians to support the spirit of the enthusiastic delegates and to help celebrating the supposed victory. When the vote result of the Olympic Committee was announced, these musicians naturally participated in the event and during the celebration festivites afterwards a group photo featuring president Lula fronting the six members of the band was shot, acknowlegding the importance of music as the heart and soul of Brasilian culture, I suppose.
The six band members - here fronted by president Lula and the two ladies - were officially chosen to represent the best of Brasilian music in Copenhagen during the crucial week before the choice of the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games. The name of the band is CARAIVANA and the six members of the ensemble, coming from different Brasilian cities, met in 2005 while on holiday in a small village in southern Bahia and became friends. Before they met in the Bahian coast, CARAIVANA's members were already renowned individually. Douglas Lora, from São Paulo, is a songwriter and guitarist. Dudu Maia , from Brasilia, bandolinist, has been standing out in Brazil and abroad as a performer, composer, arranger and producer. Alexandre Lora , also from São Paulo as his brother, is a percussionist and drummer. Alex Souza, from Brasilia, is an actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. Fabio Luna , from Rio de Janeiro, is a flautist, percussionist, composer and performer. Juninho Billy Joe , from Bahia, is a singer, percussionist and composer. As mentioned, these musicians met in 2005 and soon they all developed a great friendship and understanding between them, and as the game started to get serious, French producer Daniel Vangarde invited them to record a cd, shown below.

The cd offers different rhythms such as samba, choro and forró. Jacob do Bandolin, Edu Lobo, Noel Rosa, Sivuca and Gonzaguinha are some of the composers chosen to form this mosaic, which also includes Pixinguinha and Ary Barroso. Tracklist and more info about the music including streaming audio to be found at the official website of CARAIVANA, accessible here - Below I'll insert a couple of the uploaded videos made at the presentation concert of the cd in Rio de Janeiro to give you an impression of the magnificent music included on the cd. - Here is first a live performance of 'Tico-tico no fúba'

From the same live-performance, here is a rendition of Noel Rosa's 'Conversa de Botequim'

Finally, to end this small presentation of CARAIVANA, here's a live-performance of the forró 'Cabaceira mon amour' - enjoy!

I recommend a visit at the official website of CARAIVANA to get more info about the group and the activities it has participated in so far, including great photos and video material - also from the Copenhagen event.

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Feliz Natal & Feliz Ano Novo 2011/ A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year 2011!

Jo

Maxixe

2010-11-24T13:26:00.007+01:00

The emergence and development of choro in the late 19th century was affected by three forms of Brasilian popular music: the modinha, the lundu, and the maxixe. The lundu, an early song and dance genre, and the maxixe, an instrumental dance form that arose concurrently with choro, exhibit African influences. The wildly popular maxixe made an especially strong impression with its close couples dance style and sinuous movements. From its emergence in the late 1870s to its decline in the 1920s, few genres of popular music were as wildly popular, and controversial, as the maxixe. The music accompanies a fast paced couples dance in which the dancers' bodies are pressed together and the legs are often intertwined. - Here's a contemporary performance of the maxixe dancing

The habanera rhythm is a characteristic feature in the music accompanying the maxixe dancing, the music accompaniment in the video above is Chiquinha Gonzaga's "Corta jaca" - the original recording of the piece by Grupo Chiquinha Gonzaga from 1908 is available at Instituto Moreira Sales and may be accessed by clicking here. - The other important precursor to the maxixe was the polka, which arrived in Rio de Jaineiro in the 1840s. Structurally, the maxixe is similar to the polka, however, the maxixe is distinguinshed from the polka by its rhythm and fast tempo, a strong bass line on the beat and syncopation is common.

Few popular dances caused as much moral outrage as the maxixe. Shortly after it took the dance clubs of Rio de Janeiro with storm, it was publicly condemned as a lower-class, vulgar, and lascivious dance that took place in halls frequented by loose women and unscrupulous men. Periodically, members of cultured society became so morally outraged by the maxixe that they insisted the police close down the dance halls where it was practiced. The minister of war even banned music labeled as maxixe from performance by military bands. Despite the attitudes of the elite, the dance was quickly adopted by instrumental ensembles of the day. Listen to an example by the famous Banda do Corpo de Bombeiros playing Ernesto Nazareth's maxixe "Brejeiro" by clicking here. - In 1895, the maxixe attained a degree of social respectabillity with the opening of an operetta called "Zinzinha maxixe" that included popular maxixes with added lyrics. The operetta featured twentythree pieces by Chiquinha Gonzaga including "Corta jaca", a piece that quickly became part of the choro standard repertoire. Ernesto Nazareth also composed maxixes, but he preferred to label the pieces 'tango brasileiro', allthough his "tangos" exhibit all the characteristics of maxixe in rhythm, melody, and tempo markings. Listen to Nazareth's maxixe "Dengoso" as played by Banda da Casa Edison, click here

The maxixe was taken to Paris, where it became one of the first forms of Brasilian popular music to be legitimized abroad. It was introduced in Paris in 1905 by a dance couple named Derminy and Morly, and was modified when it was successfully re-introduced in 1912 by Monsieur Duque (- the stage name of Brazilian dancer and composer Antonio Lopes Amorim Diniz, who moved to Paris in 1909).After the success, Duque traveled back to Brazil ten years later to see what the latest version of the dance looked like and he found that it was now bouncier, had some new variations, and was sometimes called samba. During the season of 1922-23, he introduced the Brazilian samba, next evolutionary stage of the maxixe, at his Montmartre dance hall Shéhérazade. The famed Afro-Brazilian orchestra Les Batutas (Os Oito Batutas) led by none other than Pixinguinha provided music for the premier.

Also Pixinguinha composed maxixes, an early example of a very beautiful maxixe by Pixinguinha titled "Morro do pinto" as performed by Grupo do Pixinguinha in 1908 is accessible by clicking here

The maxixe also reached the U.s. and had a short-lived success during the 1910s. It was introduced by the highly popular dance couple Irene and Vernon Castle, you can watch a short film fragment of the couple dancing the American version of maxixe here

There was even composed a maxixe as a tribute to the Castles' success, "The Castlewalk", here performed by contemporary couples

By 1930, the maxixe dance began to decline in popularity in Brazil, it was supplanted by the urban samba and new imports such as foxtrot and the Charleston. The maxixe, however, remained in the choro repertory as an instrumental genre.
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The above info is excerpted and quoted from the book "Choro, A Social History of a Brazilian Popular Music" (2005) by T.E. Livingston-Isenhour & Th.G.C. Garcia, pp. 17-37.
Additional info on the Parisian maxixe success quoted from article by Richard Powers, "The Maxixe" (1983;2005) to be launched here
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Jo

Yamandú & Dominguinhos: Lado B

2010-10-25T13:04:00.007+02:00

The critically acclaimed first cd by Yamandú Costa and accordionist Dominguinhos from 2007 (Biscoito Fino, BF690) has now had its follow-up, titled 'Lado B', and containing 15 tracks of wonderful music by the duo, recorded in just three days. Guitarist Yamandú Costa and Dominguinhos had only met once before teaming in studio to record their first cd, nonetheless the teamwork and mutual understanding between the two musicians resulted in outstanding recordings of great music covering a variety of genres showing off elaborate arrangements and magnificent interplay that otherwise only may be expected from musicians who have been playing together for a long time. The great interplay certainly continues on the new cd, shown below.

The repertoire of the new disc again covers a variety of genres, you can listen to the duo's interpretation of choro ('Carioquinha' by Waldir Azevedo, 'Doce de Coco' by Jacob do Bandolim and Herminio Bello de Carvalho, 'Naquele Tempo' by Pixinguinha, 'Choro do Gago' by Yamandú and 'Chorando em Passo Fundo, by Dominguinhos), a bolero ('Solamente una Vez', by Agustín Lara), further some examples of tunes connected with the North Eastern part of Brazil, 'Pau de Arara' a successful hit by 'the king of baião', Luiz Gonzaga, and 'Fuga pro Nordeste' by Dominguinhos. The North Eastern tradition is also detected in further presented compositions by Dominguinhos, 'Noites Sergipanas', 'Sanfona de Cordel' and 'Homenagem a Pixinguinha' written in co-operation with Anastácia. The remaining tracks cover titles like 'Da Cor do Pecado' by Bororó, 'Homenagem a Chiquinho' by Dominguinhos and Guadalupe, 'Felicidade' by Lupicíno Rodrigues and 'No Rancho Fundo' by Ary Barroso and Lamartine Babo. - In all, the music presented on the cd is a delightful selection of tunes that convincingly demonstrate great interplay and a deep, mutual understanding and respect between the two musicians, highly recommended, if you already enjoyed the duo's first release from 2007.

Both albums are accessible in streaming audio from Radio UOL, click here. The new cd is available for purchase at the website of Biscoito Fino, click here

To give you an impression of the interplay between Yamandú and Dominguinhos, I'll insert a couble of videos, here is first a fragment from a live-performance at Auditório Ibirapuera

To end this, here is a recording from a TV-performance by the duo - enjoy!

Jo

Duo Choro na Manga

2010-09-20T15:11:00.007+02:00

Choro was born in Rio de Janeiro late 19th Century and has since evolved into one of Brazil's most prominent and popular instrumental music forms. Today choro also has a significant presence outside of Brazil, in many countries there are choro clubs, concerts and rodas featuring both amateurs and professional musicians devoting their chops to choro. In the city of Turin, an important cultural center of northern Italy, the duo Choro na Manga do their part by helping to spread choro. Choro na Manga has Brasilian bandolinist Marco Ruviaro and Italian guitarist Fabrizio Forte as its members, the duo was born in September 2007. After a short period of weekly meetings, Marco Ruviaro and Fabrizio Forte had an extensive repertoire of instrumental music with sophisticated arrangements and a unique style of playing, the duo Choro na Manga was born. According to the official website of Choro na Manga, choro for a duo is more than just a simple combination of a soloist and an accompanist, the two musicians seek to exploit the resources of the two instruments and broaden the horizons to the maximum musically. Last year, January 2009 the debut cd of the duo was released containing 10 recordings made during 2008 in Turin.

The repertoire of the cd covers well-known choros by prominent composers like Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, João Pernambuco, Garoto a.o. (see tracklist at Choro na Manga's web), and the arrangements and execution of the chosen material are terrific. The duo does a great work to sound like a unity, the interplay between Marco and Fabrizio is excellent and elaborate - the cd is highly recommended as an example of the art of the duo in the field of choro. The cd is avialable for download in mp3 at Amazon, and you may also have access to the music at iTunes, for more info and audio examples check the website of Choro na Manga here

Marco Ruviaro was born in São Paulo (Brazil) and started studying music at age 11. He studied guitar and has a BA in guitar from the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). He is self-taught in choro but has participated in several workshops of choro led by teachers like Pedro Amorim, Joel Nascimento, Luiz Otavio Braga, Jayme Vignoli, Mauricio Carrilho and Luciana Rabello. In Turin, Marco conducts the Choro Club and is a member of the club's quartet besides taking part in choro events around the world; an interview with Marco (- in Portuguese) is to be found here

Fabrizio Forte, a native of Turin (Italy), started in music at age 15 when he began studying guitar and bass as a self-taught. After several years playing blues and jazz, in 1997 he had his first contact with Brasilian music by the noted composer and singer João Gilberto and has since devoted himself almost exclusively to Choro, Bossa Nova and Brasilian music in general. Fabrizio now teaches guitar at the Conservatory of Novara.

To give you an impression of duo Choro na Manga's interpretations of choro I'll insert some video extracts from a live concert earlier this year at Auditorio di Vinovo, Turin. - Here is first a performance of "Coralina" by Albertino Pimentel

Here's a performance of "Segura ele" by Pixinguinha

The duo also has a performance of João Pernambuco's "Sons de carillhões" extended with a quotation of "Asa Branca"

Finally, the last video from the mentioned concert has a rendition of Garoto's "Desvairada"

Jo

Announcement: Choro Rio de Janeiro In Concert

2010-09-13T09:30:00.006+02:00

To promote the present exhibition of paintings in The Brazil Series by folk/rock icon Bob Dylan the National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen, presents a choro concert on Sunday 19 September at 3 p. m., 2010 in co-operation with The Brazilian Embassy in Copenhagen. The concert features the choro ensemble named Choro Rio de Janeiro and participating musicians are: Marcilio Lopes (bandolim), Jayme Vignoli (cavaco), Mauricio Carrilho (guitar), Oscar Bolão (pandeiro) and Martin Heap (violão de 7 cordas). - The event is free, no reservations. Place: National Gallery of Denmark, Sølvgade 48-50, Copenhagen.

Jo

Nordic Choro

2010-08-14T00:52:00.007+02:00

Some weeks ago my good friend, Hans, forwarded a link to the inserted video below as a kind gesture according my birthday - enjoy this performance of a tune titled "Happy Birthday To Me"

The composer of this tune is Jarmo Romppanen, who plays the bandolim in the video and is the main soloist in the trio that is officially named Nordic Choro. The Nordic Choro trio is from Finland, Scandinavia, and the ensemble has a profile on MySpace including video performance and audio files of some of the music played by the group, most of it composed by Jarmo Romppanen, who also has a website about his various projects here. - Nordic Choro was founded in the Autumn of 2008 and consists of Jarmo Romppanen (10-string bandolim), Anders Perander (percussions, cavaquinho, banjo) and Fabio de Oliveira (7-string guitar).The repertoire of the ensemble consists mainly of contemporary compositions by Jarmo Romppanen. According to the info of the group-profile, Jarmo has been inspired by Brazilian choro music and musicians, and also influenced by nordic folk-fiddle styles. In the profile of Nordic Choro Jarmo also points to the background of the trio, quote: "If choro music would have been born in the Nordic countries in the late 19th century, it might be sounding like this at the beginning of the 21st. However – excepting the European ones – we didn´t have the same influences here in the North, so this is just a vision and nordic choro is an imaginary genre. Nonetheless, the group Nordic Choro is a real representative of the genre and there is no need to be too serious about different music styles. After all, music is for playing ;-)"

I really like the music played by the Nordic Choro trio, a positive surprise addition to the choro genre with a Nordic folkmusic-touch played by devoted and highly skilled musicians. The trio has just released their debut cd that I should like to have and review later; links to online-retailers of the cd are notated at the MySpace profile of Nordic Choro.

To give you further impressions of the music played by Nordic Choro, I'll insert a couple more of the videos uploaded at YouTube recorded during a live performance of the trio in April 2009 at the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki, Finland). Here is a performance of another composition by Jarmo Romppanen, "Backas the better"

The next tune is also composed by Jarmo Romppanen, "Safe & warm"

Finally, to end this small presentation of Nordic Choro, here is a performance of a composition by the Brasilian 7-string guitarist of the trio, Fabio de Oliveira - the title is "Atras do Prejuizo"

Jo

Paulo Moura (1932 - 2010)

2010-07-20T10:53:00.003+02:00

Returning from a break without internet and news media I learned late last night that Paulo Moura has passed away on July 12 following a cancer desease (lymphoma), 77 years of age. The sad news was announced at his official website by André Vallias the following day and since then obituaries and appraisal articles have been published both in Brazil and the rest of the world. The music world has lost one of its greatest instrumentalists on the contemporary scene.

Paulo Moura was born in the interior of the state of São Paulo on July 15, 1932, as one of 10 siblings who all were taught to play different instruments by their father, himself a reed player. As a teenager Paulo moved to Rio de Jaineiro to study at the National School of Music and at the same time started to play in night clubs and on radio. By the late '50s he had won a spot as lead clarinetist in the orchestra of the Municipal Theater in Rio and at the same time he worked as an accompanist to visiting international artists. In 1978 he decided to quit the orchestra and from then on dedicated himself exclusively to a solo career. Over the next 30 years he made numerous recordings both under his own name and as an accompanist, he also composed music for television and films and occasionally appeared as an actor, in addition he further served as director of the Museum of Image and Sound for two years in the 1980s.

Paulo Moura was a master of both the clarinet and the saxophone excelling in different music styles covering jazz, choro, samba, bossa nova and classical. In 1992 he won a prize as best soloist in classical music, and in 2000 his live album dedicated to Pixinguinha was awarded a Latin Grammy. In 1962 Paulo Moura helped introducing the bossa nova in the US during a famous concert at Carnegie Hall together with Sergio Mendes a.o.. Later he had a close co-work with pianist Cliff Korman introducing their special mix of Gafieira and Jazz to an international public, and during his solo career he toured major parts of the world successfully. Marcello Gonçalves has expressed the versatility of Paulo Moura in short: "No matter where he was playing, he always maintained the same posture and this just added to his elegance."

I first learned about Paulo Moura from Mika Kaurismäki's documentary 'Brasileirinho, Choro in Rio' (2005) where he is featured as a soloist in sequences showing the gafieira/ballroom tradition alive, here is one of the memorable scenes showing Paulo Moura in great interplay with Daniela Spielman on soprano sax - the tune performed is "Chorinho pra Voce"

Paulo Moura had a distinct sound thanks to his Buffet Crampon Clear Lucite clarinet as documented in this video featuring a rendition of K-Ximbinho's "Ternura"

In remembrance of a great musician who has played an important part in the revival of choro on the contemporary music scene, here is a performance by Paulo Moura playing " Pro Paulo"

More info, discography, music and video material to be found at Paulo Moura's excellent website, click here

Jo

Fred Hersch plays Jobim

2010-06-17T08:06:00.004+02:00

Fred Hersch, a US jazz piano player, released last year an album that fascinated me. The album is entitled Fred Hersch plays Jobim. Although not a pure Choro album, Fred Hersch dedicated it to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, the great Brazilian composer. In the liner notes Fred tells that he is a great fan of chorinhos - this fascinating for Choro music is to be heard in some of the tunes - enough reason to introduce you to this album.
Fred Hersch is one of those jazz piano players who fascinate me. Although he plays and records since the early 1980s I learned about him and his music only a few years ago, thanks to the documentary Let Yourself Goes - The lives of Fred Hersch - a fascinating portrait of a gifted musician in his fight agains his HIV-infection. Last year I heard him in a concert with his Fred Hersch Trio + 2 at the North Sea Jazz Festival, in Rotterdam. For this performance Fred had invited two horn players, Ralph Alessi on trumpet and flugelhorn and Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone. The photos used in this contribution are made, with a simple digital camera, during this concert.

Fred Hersch ( North Sea Jazz Festival ( Rotterdam) July 2009 ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Last year Fred released a solo album dedicated to Antonio Carlos Jobim. But few people won't have ever heard the music of Jobim. His bossa nova styled songs like the Girl from Ipanema, Desafinado or Meditation, to list some well known themes, are well known and where all part of the pop charts of the 1960s. The bossa nova, a mix of Brazilian music and jazz, to keep it simply, was introduced by musicians like Astrud Gilberto, Charlie Byrd, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Stan Getz. I told about this period in a contribution about Eliane Elias' tribute to 50 years Bossa Nova In the liner notes Fred tells that he was introduced to the Bossa Nova by a local guitar player Kenny Poole. This men died a few years ago and I found a fragment where you can here him playing.

He learned to play the Brazilian rhythms by drummer Edison Machado. He was one of the first to transfer the rhythms of the Bossa Nova, the Samba, and the Baiao to the drum set. He met Edison at a gig at the New York club Cachaca: I was lucky to be taught on the bandstand by a real master: Edison Machado. During Fred's career he visited Brasil three times and played with Leny Andrade, the great Brazilian singer who often played with the Sergo Mendes band Sexteto Bossa Rio. In Brazil Fred Hersch learned more about Choro. I am a huge fan of chorinhos - the equivalent of Brazilian ragtime - and have learned many of them and written some of my own. Fred Hersch at the North Sea Jazz Festival - Rotterdam ( July 2009) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

Around 1870 in Rio de Janeiro ( Brazil) a new musical style emerged that would become one of the most creative musical manifestations in Brazil. Choro was primarily an instrumental form, and to a North American ear it might sound a little like a small Dixieland jazz combo playing with strange rhythms, extreme melodic leaps, unexpected modulations, and occasional breakneck tempos. Interestingly, choro's development in Brazil slightly predated the rise of ragtime and jazz in North America. Choro and jazz were both characterized in part by their use of improvisation and African-derived musical elements. ( source: Choro: Improvisation South of New Orleans in The Billboard Book of Brazilian Music by Chris McGowan and Ricardo Pessanha p. 151 )

Fred Hersch at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam ( July 2009) ( photo courtesy: Hans Koert)

In the album Fred Hersch plays Jobim Fred didn't want to play only the well known tunes, already listed above, but also some of the lesser known Jobim compositions. One of those less known tunes is O Grande Amor, which he learned from Stan Getz, who recorded it several times ( like in Sweet Rain, March 1967). I played briefly with Stan Getz in the mid-1980s and it was from him that I learned O Grande Amor. It is now one of the tunes I like the best. It starts almost like a classical Debussy-etude before it developed into a more swinging rhythmical theme. Fred Hersch was allowed to make a choice from the hundreds of compositions archived in the Jobim estate. This album contains nine tracks - all tunes were composed by Jobim, but Fred's version is not a copy of the originals. He made a selection of lesser known tunes like Por Toda Minha Vida and Luiza and some more known themes like Meditacao, Insensatez and Desafinado. The latter surprises as it contains rhythms and harmonies you don't expect in this well known theme - Fred says that he was inspired by the Brazilian rhythms he had heard. His interpretation of the slow tunes are more like a meditation - almost introverted, like Bill Evans would have played it, but the more rhythmical up-tempo tunes like Desafinado and in Brigas Nunca Mais, one of the tunes that surprised me too, the rhythms and harmonies seem to be inspired by the Choro music. On this tune, Hersch is accompanied by percussionist Jamey Haddad. This album was recorded at Ambient Studio in Stamford CT and Hersch plays on a well tuned and great sounding Steinway piano. Love to share with you the tune Insensatez as played by Hersch on this album, dedicated to the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Reading through so much of his music reinforced my belief that Jobim is one of the great composers of the 20th century regardless of genre. His bittersweet harmonies, fabulous melodies and superb craftsmanship are evident in everything he writes. ( Fred Hersch in the liner notes of Fred Hersch plays Jobim)

Ths contribution is also posted at the Keep Swinging blog.

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

7 + 7 Cordas = Magic!

2010-06-08T12:31:00.004+02:00

What happens when two aces of the violão sete cordas ( the acoustic seven string guitar) get together to make music? The answer to that question is the word 'magic', at least considering the contained recordings on the new cd featuring Yamandú Costa and Valter Silva, a marvellous example of preservation of the special and rare moments when mutual understanding and creative craftmanship reaches a level of magic leaving the listener with a feeling of endless happiness - and a gratitude beyound words. The cd has a special background according to the liner notes by Marcello Gonçalves, well known seven string guitarist of Trio Madeira Brasil, quote: " At a celebration for my birthday in 2004, besides all of the usual suspects, I invited Valter Silva, who still hadn't met Yamandu. (...) The two of them got to know each other, began playing and the party halted in its tracks as everyone stopped to listen. That magic, which we are always searching for, but never know when it will appear, appeared. After everything went back to normal, Yamandu and I looked at each other and said, "We have to record this." And that's exactly what we did. During the sessions we were always searching for that special magic. When it didn't appear, we would move on to another piece and come back to it on another day. It was a fast process but done without being in a rush.- This CD shows the energy of the 70-year-old Valter and the maturity of Yamandu's 30 years. It is an homage to the music of Rio de Janeiro, to the 7 string acoustic guitar, and to Valter himself, a true artist of this music and this instrument."

The cd is produced by Marcello Gonçalves and contains 13 tracks of delightful interplay between Yamandú and Valter, the music is well chosen from a repertoire of classic choros and features performance of compositions by Dilermando Reis, João Pernambuco, Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, Canhoto da Paraíba a.o.. The set-up of the duo sessions has Yamandú playing the melody while Valter contributes accompaniment adding marvellous modulation and fill ins. Both musicians are left space for improvisation and embellishment and even though Yamandú is playing lead, Valter also gets the chance to show off his ability as a soloist and a great improvisator on the seven string guitar. The performances are very balanced, the two musicians have the ability to listen to each other while playing and create wonderful variations of the musical themes 'on the spot of the moment', the result is magic and a perfect cd, highly recommended. - The cd is available for purchase here and you also have the opportunity to listen to all tracks in streaming audio at Rádio UOL, click here

I have not been able to find uploaded videos featuring Yamandú and Valter performing together, however, to give you an impression of Valter Silva's capacity as a master of the seven string guitar, to end this I'll insert a couple of examples where he is featured. - Here is a fragment of a rehearsel with guitarist Guilherme Lamas, the music performed is a composition by João dos Santos, "Paulista"

Here is a fragment from a live performance/roda da choro featuring Valter Silva, the music performed is Pixinguinha's "Um a zero"

Finally, here you have a performance of Pixinguinha's "Cochichando", Valter Silva in interplay with Ronaldo Santos (cavaquinho) and João Rafael (pandeiro)

Jo

Nailor Proveta: Brasileiro Saxofone

2010-05-15T11:17:00.003+02:00

Nailor Proveta (Nailor Aparecido Azevedo, b 1961) is a highly estimated Brasilian reed player, composer, arranger and director, who has conducted a career in Brazil both as a sought after instrumentalist and as a founder and leader of the São Paulo based big band Banda Mantiqueira excelling in updated versions of Brasilian music. Proveta has a high place among the best musicians of Brazil. He learned the musical notes before he could write the letters of the alphabet, and at 6 years of age, he was already playing the clarinet. As mentioned, he is the leader and arranger of the big band Banda Mantiqueira, formed in 1991 and nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance in 1998 and again in 2006. Proveta has been playing with some of the best artists in Brazil and also with international artists, such as Joe Williams, Anita O’Day, Bobby Short, Benny Carter, Natalie Cole, Ray Conniff,a.o.. Proveta has also been working intensively in recording studios as a player and arranger and has participated in hundreds of recordings of the most important Brazilians artists.- Musically, Proveta is deeply rooted in choro and the traditional styles of Brasilian music, and to give you an impression of Proveta performing in this context here is a live recording from a oncert arranged by Instrumental SESC Brasil. Nailor Proveta's quintet features Carlos Roberto (piano), Edimilson Capelupi (7 string acoustic guitar), Cléber Almeida (percussion), Jericó (trompet and flugel horn) and Proveta (clarinet and sax), the tune played is "Cochichando", a classic choro by Pixinguinha

Proveta released his first solo cd in 2006, "Tocando para o Interior" featuring arrangements of traditional Brasilian music styles, last year his secound solo issue, "Brasileiro Saxofone" (Acari Discos), was released.

The disc is a result of a project conducted by Proveta. For a long time he has cherished the idea of dedicating a whole album to the saxophone and its story in Brazil. The cd is a result of the project that also has included workshops and concerts to share information and experience with other musicians and a public interested in learning more about the instrument's role in Brasilian popular music. The repertoire of the disc ranges from nineteenth century pioneers such as Anacleto de Medeiros (1866-1907) to contemporary composers such as Christovão Bastos, Mauricio Carrilhos and Proveta himself and includes also a handful of great twentieth century musicians such as: Pixinguinha, Radamés Gnattali, César Guerra-Peixe, as well as a few others specially linked to the saxophone: Moacir Santos, K-Ximbinho, Luis Americano and Ratinho. A website devoted to the project (- both in Portuguese and English) is available clicking here , here you can also read more about the single tracks of the cd and listen to sound clips including two unissued compositions.

The saxophone in contemporary music is mostly connected with jazz and the great American performers of the instrument, however, the instrument has a story outside this field in compositonal/erudite music and popular music as well, and if you are looking for examples of the instrument's importance and story in Brazil, the cd by Nailor Proveta is a great source featuring arrangements of music of high quality challenging a jazz infected ear to take the advantage of a closer listening. The cd is highly recommended as an example of the serious work being maintained by great musicians to preserve and relive an important field of the rich Brasilian music tradition. - Below is inserted an example of the music at the disc from a live presentation at a concert last year at the IX Festival de Música de Ourinhos. Proveta (sax) is accompanied by Mauricio Carrilho ( ac.7 string guitar) and Paulo Aragão (guitar) and the piece performed is a composition by Radamés Gnattali, "Caminho da saudade"

Jo

Choro and Pixinguinha Day

2010-04-23T09:06:00.002+02:00

On the 4th of September 2000 an official document of the Brasilian government announced that the 23rd of April every year shall be marked as Dia Nacional do Choro - National Choro Day. The 23rd of April was deliberatly chosen in honor of Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho - better known as Pixinguinha (April 23, 1897 - February 7, 1973), choro composer, arranger, flautist and saxophonist. Today it is Pixinguinha's 113th birthday - and Choro Day, all over Brazil and elsewhere music events are scheduled to celebrate choro and Pixinguinha. We also want to mark the day by inserting some videos below featuring music by Pixinguinha - Here is first a short film fragment of the Maestro with his regional recorded in the 1950s playing "1X0" - Enjoy!

From a live concert arranged by Instrumental SESC Brasil earlier this year featuring Zé da Velha (trombone), Silvério Pontes (trumpet), Alexandre Romanazzi (flute), Charlles da Costa (violão), Alessandro Cardozo (cavaquinho), Netinho Albuquerque (pandeiro) and Rodrigo Jesus (percussion) here is a rendition of Pixinguinha's "Ainda me Recordo"

From the same concert, here is Pixinguinha's "Os Oito Batutas"

Finally, to end this small celebration of Pixinguinha, here is a magnificent rendition of the tour-de-force for any flautist, "O Gato e o Canário", from the same concert - Enjoy!

Jo

Choro Rhythm Patterns For Violão/Guitar

2010-04-19T19:51:00.005+02:00

If you are a guitarist excelling in choro and want to learn more about the various rhythm patterns in choro and how to accompany them on your instrument in a choro ensemble, then there is good news for you. An accomplished choro guitarist, Abdallah Harati, has prepared and uploaded several pedagogical examples on his website to teach you the right approach. - I'll insert a couple of examples below of the short videos (- also available at YouTube) to give you an impression of Abdallah Harati's lecture on the different patterns in accompanying choro on the violão/guitar. Each example has text in English to reach also non-Portuguese speaking learners, an excellent service to spread know-how and prepare you for Choro Day events later this week, I think. Learn more about Abdallah Harati at his website (- both in Portuguese and English) by using the link above or click here

Here's an example of the basic rhtyhm in choro and how you can accompany on the guitar, the chords used here are Dm and A7 and it will work with Pixinguinha's 'Ingênuo'

Here's an example of the tango brasileiro rhythm pattern, the chords used are G and D7, the key Gm - the accompaniement fits with Nazareth's 'Brejeiro'

Last example here covers the maxixe, the chords used are F6 and C7 and the music that fits the shown pattern is “Flor do Abacate” (Alvaro Sandim)

More examples at Abdallah Harati's website

Jo

Choro Bandido, An English Choro Ensemble

2010-04-05T14:27:00.010+02:00

In recent years the popularity of choro has spread outside Brazil, musicians worldwide have opened their ears to the spellbinding sound of this original music of Brazil and now devote their chops to learning and playing choro. - An example of this movement is the English choro ensemble, Choro Bandido, located in Surrey, UK. In 2008 Choro Bandido got together to explore Chorinho. The members of the quartet have been involved in various musical genres in their time. Classically trained violinist Alison Hopper cut her teeth on classical and folk music. Multi-instrumentalist Dave 'the hat' Anthony has played in many contemporary rock bands. He plays keyboards, violin, bass & percussion but for Choro Bandido has added cavaquinho to his instrumental armoury. Guitarist and teacher Brian Bull, a huge Django Reinhardt fan, has a long background playing Gypsy Jazz. Having added a seventh string Brian is now studying the works of the great Yamandú Costa and Dino 7 Cordas. Percussionist Mick Pyke's musical path has been from blues rock through reggae into African music and has now finished up in Brazilian music. He co-founded the samba bloco, Bloco do Sul, (in Surrey, UK) more than 21 years ago and still runs it with Dave. - In 2009 Choro Bandido travelled to California Brazil Camp (CBC) where they spent a week learning from Ted Falcon who is now professor of violin at the "Escola Brasileira de Choro Raphael Rabello" in Brasilia.

Choro Bandido have just completed a 6 track EP CD, shown above. There are just a handful of Choro groups in the UK where choro is little known, so they have chosen some classic tracks to introduce choro to their ever growing audience.

The cd is available from the website of Choro Bandido where you also will find further info on the group including several uploaded videos and audio tracks. - To give you an impression of Choro Bandido in action I insert a couple of videos from live-performance below. The first was recorded recently and features a rendition of Jacob do Bandolim's 'Vibracoes' - enjoy!

Here's a rendition of Waldir Azevedo's 'Brasileirinho' from the same live-performance as above

More music by Choro Bandido in streaming audio available by clicking here

Nelson Latif, Tributo a João Pernambuco

2010-03-19T11:53:00.008+01:00

The musical legacy of João Pernambuco (1883-1947) was almost forgotten for three decades after his passing away, only a small selection of his compositions was recorded by other musicians (i.e. Dilermando Reis and Jacob do Bandolim) in the 1950s and 1960s. However, with the essential release of some of Pernambuco's choros on two LPs by Turibío Santos in 1977 and 1979 featuring magnificent arrangements of some of his most well known and beloved pieces arranged for solo violão and choro group the music of João Pernambuco was relived and saved from oblivion. From then on Pernambuco's compositions have been considered a part of the choro standard book, and since the recordings by Turibío Santos several other artists have made recordings of his works both in Brazil and elsewhere. In 1983, the centennial Of Pernambuco was celebrated through a recording by pianist Antonio Adolfo and the choro ensemble Nó Em Pingo d'Aqua featuring new arrangements of some of Pernambuco's pieces, another essential recording that I have commented earlier. - There have also been several released recordings by solo guitarists featuring Pernambuco's compositions, some of them by Brasilian artists are mentioned in an earlier entry at this blog, and you can also find more info at Angelo Zaniol's website dedicated to Pernambuco's legacy, click here

Last year guitarist and cavaquinho player Nelson Latif recorded the above shown cd, Tributo a João Pernambuco (NL002), that has been just released. The cd is recorded in Brasilia and Amsterdam from April to December 2009 and contains 12 tracks of both solo pieces and arrangements for choro ensemble - 10 tracks feature compositions by João Pernambuco, the 2 remaining are compositions by Latif and guitarist Bosco Oliveira, who accomponanies Latif in the ensemble tracks on the cd and further is a regular member of Latif's various ensembles excelling in different variations of Brasilian and world-music styles. The ensemble tracks have further participation by Flávio Sandoval on tenor and soprano sax and Rafael dos Santos on pandeiro. The cd takes off with a great arrangement of Pernambuco's 'Dengoso' featuring Latif on violão 7 cordas and cavaquinho overdub and solo contributions from Sandoval's reeds backed by Oliveira and Rafael dos Santos. This is followed by a duo recording of 'Sons de Carrilhões' by Latif on violão 7 cordas and Oliveira on violão including an improvisation by Latif reflecting the famous duet recording of the piece by Raphael Rabello and Dino Sete Cordas from the early 1990s. 'Graúna', 'Interroganda', 'Brasileirinho' and the Oliveira composition 'De João para João' are trio recordings featuring Latif on both violão 7 cordas and cavaquinho, the reed playing by Sandoval is featured again on 'Mimoso'. 'Sentido', 'Lágrima', 'Saudosa Viola', 'Rebolico' and the Latif composition 'Uma Toada para o João' are solo contributions by Nelson Latif on violão 7 cordas, the Pernambuco pieces reflecting the historical recordings from the late 1920s by João and Zezinho. - The cd is highly recommended as an example of the fact that João Pernambuco's musical legacy is taken good care of today and still challenges musicians to offer their best and as such relive the soul and heartbeat of true Brasilian music.
Learn more about Nelson Latif from his official website (in Portuguese, English and Dutch), the above mentioned cd and other released recordings by Nelson Latif are available from his website using the link in the Discography section.

To end this small review of 'Tributo a João Pernambuco' I found an uploaded video on YouTube from a live performance in Amsterdam last year featuring Latif on violão accompanied by ensemble, the title of the tune is 'Feira de Mangaio', the style is much in the vain of João Pernambuco - enjoy the music and have patience with the rather bad footage!

Jo

Sons de Carrilhões, A Popular Choro

2010-02-21T14:04:00.004+01:00

João Teixeira Guimarães (- known as João Pernambuco) (1883-1947) was a self taught guitarist unable to read or write musical notation, nevertheless he composed over 100 pieces for guitar in various styles during his career, today many of them ranking among the standard repertoire for guitarists excelling in choro. João Pernambuco is generally considered the originator or founder of the guitar choro, and especially one of his compositions has become popular with guitarists worldwide, the choro-maxixe 'Sons de Carrilhões' ( - in English: 'Sounds of Bells').

According to the info available at the website by Angelo Zaniol dedicated to the legacy of João Pernambuco 'Sons de Carrilhões' was recorded by João Pernambuco (violão) accompanied by Nelson Alves (cavaquinho) for Odeon in 1926 and issued on a 78 rpm disc (Disco ODEON 123165). A musical notation of the piece was published for the first time in a collection titled 'A Guitarra de Prata' during the 1930s, a revised version by Turibio Santos and a second, revised version by Dilermando Reis was published 1978 through Ricordi Brasileira (0206, 1978). These revised versions have been republished by the German Chanterelle Verlag 1992 (ECH 761, 1992). An arrangment for trio (flute, violão and cavaquinho) by Angelo Zavinol is available at his website, another for solo violão notated in standard notation and guitar tablature is free available here

Numerous examples featuring a perfomance of 'Sons de Carrilhões' have been uploaded at YouTube, below I'll insert four different renditions of the piece. - The first video is uploaded just recently and features a performance by an anonymous amateur

Here's a faster version of the tune performed by Daniel Volovets

An arrangement by Carlos Barbosa-Lima excellently performed by the guitarist himself belongs to my own favourites:

Finally, the Argentine genius of jazz/swing guitar playing, Oscar Alemán, recorded a solo version of the piece in 1972, in Spanish titled 'Sonido de Carrillón'. Here is just the audio track of this recording uploaded, a convincing example showing that Alemán was deeply rooted in Brasilian music and not just the swing/jazz tradition of the 1930s - Enjoy!

Jo

Luz da Aurora, Yamandú & Hamilton live!

2010-01-21T16:51:00.003+01:00

In 2008 was recorded a live concert featuring Yamandú Costa and Hamilton de Holanda from a performance at the Auditório Ibirapuera in São Paulo. The live recording has now been released on a cd, 'Luz da Aurora', through the Som Livre/Atracao company. I have not heard the cd yet, but judging from previews and already published reviews in Brazil it is worth waiting for in this part of the world. Contents of the disc according to the Discos do Brasil web service is to be reached here. The disc can be obtained from online retailers in Brazil, a good service is provided here.

The release of the 'Luz da Aurora' cd was covered by the TV Estadão, SP, through an interview with Yamandú and Hamilton. During the interview the duo played a couple of the tunes available on the cd. Both the interview (- in Portuguese, of course) and the recorded music has been uploaded at YouTube. Below I insert the two videos featuring Yamandú and Hamilton performing, here is their version of 'Samba do Véio', a composition by the duo - enjoy!

The other video features a version of 'Samba pro Rapha', a composition by Yamandú Costa excellently performed here by the duo at TV Estadão

Jo

E.Nazareth, For Dancers Only!

2009-12-31T15:56:00.007+01:00

Ever since the music of Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934) was introduced to an American and international public with a helping hand from Disney and Zé Carioca in cartoons of the 1940s as pointed out by Daniella Thompson in an article, it was soon swallowed up by the pop-industry outside Brazil to make it digestable for a mainstream audience devoting its tastes to light entertainment, dance and an Americanized understanding of Brasilian culture. Only in recent years another understanding and appreciation of Nazareth's works is beginning to unearth, mainly thanks to great initiatives taken by ragtime societies in the US, ChoroMusic.com and, not least, the magnificient work directed by the Brasilian researcher and pianist, Alexandre Dias, who by now has published the result of his research in an official website devoted to the works of E. Nazareth including free access to all 218 registered scores in a revised version, a milestone in preserving this musical heritage for future generations. The website is definitely worth a visit for serious followers of Nazareth and can be launched here.

However, like choro musicians were among the first to embrace the music of E. Nazareth and make it a part of the standard repertoire at rodas, in radio and recording sessions thus spreading it to the public all over Brazil, it is also of historical importance to remember and recognise how this music was received and percieved by the music scene outside Brazil. Among the renown ambassordors in spreading the music of Nazareth to a larger public through performance, recordings and participation in movies was bandleader Edmundo Ros and His Rumba Band,during the 1940s and 1950s a highly popular ensemble of the time. I found a couple of examples on YouTube featuring the audiotracks of compositions by E.Nazareth as interpretated by Edmundo Ros and His Rumba Band - the first features 'Apanhei-te cavaquinho' as recorded in 1945, enjoy!

Here's a recording from about the same time of Nazareth's maxixe-tango, "Dengoso"

The lasting quality of the music performed by musicians like Edmundo Ros and His Rumba Band depends on the ability of such bands to make the output danceable. And if you don't think that it's possible to dance to the music of E. Nazareth after listening to the video-tracks above, let Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers show you how it's done:

A Feliz Ano Novo - A Happy New Year 2010! to readers of this blog, that counts its entry no 200 since June 2006.

Jo

Naquele Tempo - Roland Dyens plays Pixinguinha

2009-12-07T14:40:00.005+01:00

The importance of the music of Pixinguinha (1898-1973) cannot be overestimated, his works as a musician, composer and arranger continue to inspire musicians worldwide. Choro ensembles were the first to embrace the music of Pixinguinha, which is not so strange, as Pixinguinha redefined the choro and had a lasting impact on the conception of the genre through his compositions and recorded legacy. Pixinguinha is the founder of the choro as it is performed today, and both erudite and popular musicians have taken advantage of the guidelines drawn by the master. Villa-Lobos was a great admirer of Pixinguinha and so was Radamés Gnattali, and countless musicians, amateurs as well as erudite, have found a profound inspiration in his works. Here we'll concentrate on a new cd devoted to music composed by Pixinguinha and performed as a solo recital by classical guitarist Roland Dyens.

One of the qualities of Pixinguinha's music is his choice of simple, beautiful melodies reflecting a classical conception of harmony and arranged with a multi-layered understanding of instrumental voices, and then add to this the always sensible rhythmic pulse of African origins that makes the output a sparkling and swinging affair when performed as intended by the composer. The music of Pixinguinha is a challenge to perform as a soloist, whatever the instrument chosen; it demands complete understanding and demand of the instrument's range to cover all nuances. When it comes to performing Pixinguinha's music on the guitar/violão in a solo recital, the shown cd above comes close to the perfect match. Roland Dyens has a done a magnificent work transcribing 11 of Pixinguinha's compositions for solo guitar, and the performance of the recorded pieces is marvellous, a brillant excersise that captures the soul of the music and draws the attention of the listener. The cd is highly recommended to everyone with an open ear for the possibilities of the classical solo guitar, a great experience that makes repeated listening a simple 'must' to explore nuances further. Roland Dyens shows off a contempory understanding of Pixinguinha's music, that never neglects the intention of the composer, but completes it in a perfectly excecuted recital recorded in high quality audio by GSP. - Learn more about the contents of the cd by clicking cd-cover above or here

Roland Dyens (b.1955 in Tunisia) is a Tunisian-French classical guitarist, composer, and arranger. Dyens studied guitar with the Spanish master guitarist Alberto Ponce and analysis with Désiré Dondeyne. He has won several prizes in competitions for classical guitar performance as well as for composition. As a performer, Dyens is known for his extraordinary capacity for improvisation. His guitar music draws on many elements of folk music and jazz, and has become popular with other players. Learn more about Roland Dyens at his official web-site, click here

A more extensive review of the cd 'Naquele Tempo' is found here

'Tango en Skaï (1985), is probably the best-known piece composed by Roland Dyens, and as I did not find a video showing a perfomance by Dyens playing Pixinguinha I'll insert a performance of the mentioned 'Tango en Skai' to give you an opportunity to enjoy a remarkable modern master of the classical concert guitar

To end this, here's a performance of the well known tango 'El Choclo' as arranged and played by Roland Dyens, enjoy!

De Bandolim a Bandolim

2009-11-03T16:05:00.011+01:00

The bandolim is a popular instrument in Brazil and has obtained a major position as a solo voice in choro thanks to great instrumentists in the tradition from Luperce Miranda to Jacob Bittencourt (aka Jacob do Bandolim), and on the contemporary scene the position of the bandolim is maintained and kept up to date by stellar performers like Armandinho, Hamilton de Holanda, Danilo Brito a.o.. Jacob do Bandolim is generally considered the single most important agent in favour of recognising the instrument as a solo voice, his efforts in promoting the instrument and in collecting fitting repertoire of music are of enourmous importance in the still expanding popularity of the instrument. Among the many activities of historic notice maintained by Jacob do Bandolim was his co-oporation with composer Radamés Gnattali in arranging Gnattali's suite 'Retratos' for bandolim and symphonic orchestra documented in the important historic recording of the work in 1964 featuring Jacob do Bandolim as a soloist. The recording of 'Retratos' was an example of the fact that the boundaries between popular music traditionally connected with the bandolim, notably choro, and erudite, compositional work had dissolved, however, the boundaries were never as strictly pointed out in Brasilian culture as elsewhere and especially in European tradition. The aftermath of 'Retratos' meant that choro musicians extended their repertoire to include written music from the erudite compopositional tradition of works by both Brazilians and classical composers like J.S. Bach, Vivaldi and Chopin a.o.

One of the leading figures in this movement was bandolimist Joel Nascimento (b.1937), who founded the Camerata Carioca choro ensemble early 1970'ies with guidance by Radamés Gnattali. Nascimento persuaded Gnattali to arrange his 'Retratos' suite for a choro ensemble and surprised the maestro at a party by bringing in his Camerata Carioca ensemble to perform the re-arranged work, later Gnattali participated in the arranging and recording of a homage to the music of Jacob do Bandolim by Camerata Carioca (LP,1979). The Camerata Carioca ensemble and Radamés Gnattali also had a co-work on the project devoted to music by Vivaldi and Pixinguinha (LP,1980). Since the revival of choro dawned during the 1970s it is no longer unusual to find music by erudite, classical composers mixed with traditional choro works in the repertoire of contemporary choro ensembles. The new cd shown above featuring Hamilton de Holanda and Joel Nascimento reflects this tradition by mixing works by choro icons like Nazareth, Pixinguinha and Jacob do Bandolim with compositions by J.S.Bach, Vivaldi and Beethoven in the repertoire of the disc, moreover the cd has a short piece by Radamés Gnattali documenting the importance of his music in contemporary Brasilian culture and in evolving the concept of choro containing both popular and erudite elements.

Last year Joel Nascimento and Hamilton de Holanda went into the studio to record the cd, 'De Bandolim a Bandolim', showcasing the bandolim and the tradition of mixing popular and erudite music. The result is a marvellous experiment documenting for the first time, I think, a duo recording of two bandolins in interplay without a back-up ensemble, further it is the first time Nascimento and Hamilton de Holanda have recorded together. The two musicians, however, know each other well, Hamilton was a student with Nascimento earlier, and this relation shines through and generates an intimate atmosphere in the set-up of the recording. Generally, Joel Nascimento takes the lead voice while Hamilton provides the accompaniment contributing chordal work, fill-ins and rhythmic support, but he is also given space in introducing of themes and gets a chance to show off his exceptional skills as an improviser with complete demand of his chosen instrument, the 10 string bandolim. The role of the two musicians' part in the game is not defined as a teacher-student combination as could be expected, rather it is the nature of the used instruments that defines the roles of both musicians. While Nascimento plays the conventional 8 string bandolim designed for playing lead, Hamilton's 10 string instrument provides the extended possibility of adding elaborate bass lines and complex accompaniment thanks to the two lower strings, thus, the musical possibilities of the instruments point out the appropiate set-up for interplay in the work by the duo.

The cd contains ten titles, four of which are from an erudite reperoire: 'Concerto Para Bandolim e Orquestra II Movimento' (Radamés Gnattali), 'Chorale Prelude 'Nun Komm der Heillan' Adagio' (J.S.Bach), 'Concerto Para 3 Bandolins em G II Movimento' (A.Vivaldi) with guest participation by Armandinho Macêdo to cover the three instruments score and finally 'Sonatina em C Menor' by Ludwig van Beethoven originally composed for piano and mandolin. The remaining titles cover pieces by Catulo da Paixão Cearense/Alfredo Dutra, 'Tu Passaste Por Este Jardim', a romantic theme introducing the cd. 'Gotas de Ouro' by Ernesto Nazareth, a famous waltz from the composer's book, further the choros 'Os Cinco Companheiros' by Pixinguinha and 'O Bom Filho á Casa Torna' by Bonfiglio de Oliveira. There is also a reading of the romantic yet complex 'Falta-Me Você' by Jacob do Bandolim and, surprisingly, a very lively rendition of the tango 'Por Una Cabeza' by Carlos Gardel/Alfredo Le Pere complete with rhythmic tapping on the bandolim box and elaborate improvisation of the theme by the duo. The fascinating mix of repertoire of the disc invites to repeated listening to digest the magnificent contributions by the duo, the cd is definitely designated to highlight the bandolim as a fitting instrument for chamber music of a high level and it is likely that the record may rank as the most important in the category of instrumental music released in Brazil in 2009. You have the opportunity to listen to the music in full length at Radio UOL, click picture of cd above or here to get access.
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To end this small review of 'De Bandolim a Bandolim' I'll insert a couple of video fragments featuring Joel Nascimento and Hamilton de Holanda performing together during a studio recording of the dvd-project "Ao Jacob, seus Bandolins". - The first fragment is a performance of Jacob do Bandolim's 'Alvorada', the bandolinists are accompanied by Rogério Caetano on violão 7 cordas - enjoy!

From the same studio sessions as above, here's an improvised rendition of Jacob do Bandolim's 'Noites Cariocas' - enjoy!

Solo Accordion & Choro

2009-10-03T12:44:00.004+02:00

The accordion is a popular instrument often used in various Brazilian music styles, notably in forró and baião, but it has also been used with success in bossa nova and choro. When national radio broadcasting of live music acts started in Brazil during the 1930, the staff of musicians often had an accordionist among its members to supply solo voice and accompaniment in interplay with string instruments and reeds of the ensemble accompanying popular singers and playing choros and waltzes during intermission. Renown accordionists like Orlando Silveira, Chiquinho do Acordeon (Romeu Seibel) and Sivuca all started their career as members of a radio regional, the accompanying music ensemble used during radio transmission of live music, and the same set-up was also used by the record industry to promote popular vocalists and stars from radio. The popular choro 'Tico-tico no fubá' by Zequinha de Abreu was first recorded in 1930 by a typical regional, Orquestra Colbaz, that had an accomplished accordionist in front playing the melody, and following the world success of the tune it was soon adopted by accordionists as part of the standard repertoire. - I found an excellent solo version of 'Tico-tico no fubá' to illustrate the range of the instrument when playing choro. Enjoy Dorival Pinhata's solo accordion in 'Tico-tico no fubá'

The accordion - or as it is also named in Brazil: the sanfona - is well suited for playing solo, like the piano the accordion allows applying chord accompaniment in the left hand while playing the melody with the right. Here's another example of a solo accordionist playing choro applying modern harmony to the well know 'Lamentos' by Pixinguinha. Enjoy Olivio Filho's rendition of 'Lamentos'

In the studio group used by Jacob do Bandolim for recording sessions during the 1950s one of the accompanying musicians was an accordionist (- from time to time it was Orlando Silveira), who also had a solo spot on one of Jacob's hits, 'Doce de coco', from this period. Here's a contemporary version of 'Doce de coco' as performed by accordionist Chico Chagas accompanied by Nando Duarte on violão de 7 cordas - enjoy!

As mentioned above the accordion - or the sanfona - is used in different music styles all over Brazil. Especially the various North Eastern genres of music from the Pernambuco and Bahia regions are closely connected with the accordion. However, choro also blends in the repertoire of accordionists from this part of the country, here's an example of a master of the forró tradition, Oswaldinho do Acordeon, playing choro

One of the master accordionists known outside Brazil is Sivuca (- from Paraíba, Pernambuco), who excelled in various local genres as well as choro, bossa nova and even jazz. To end this small contribution enjoy Sivuca alone on stage performing his virtuosic version of 'Quando me Lembro', a typically North Eastern flavoured composition

Jo

Paola Picherzky, 18 Choros de Armando Neves

2009-09-03T16:00:00.007+02:00

In the vast Brasilian repertoire composed for the solo violão the works of Armandinho (Armando Neves, 1902-1976) stand out as exemplary samples of music that evolve the choro in a most suitable way for the instrument and with a conception of harmony and melody reflecting both nostalgia and modernism. Like the compositions of João Pernambuco the works of Armandinho have been almost unknwon by the public for decades. The cd shown above, however, reestablish Armandinho among the great composers of choros for the solo violão containing 18 examples of his works within the genre as arranged and played by Paola Picherzky.

Paola Picherzky, who is a member of the higly estimated erudite guitar quartet Quaternaglia since 2007 and a professor of the violão at the Faculdade de Música Santa Marcelina, São Paulo, has researched and transcribed Armandinho's choros for solo violão, and the recorded 18 examples are extremely well executed and a sheer pleasure to be listening to, very balanced and further a top audio quality production - a highly recommended cd that finally may open the ears of the public for the music of Armando Neves. Click on picture of cd to see tracklist and learn more about Paola Picherzky from profile at MySpace and from the website of Quaternaglia.

Armando Neves (Armandinho) (1902-1976) is one of the most important figures of choro developed in the city of São Paulo. Learning to play the violão by ear, he never learned music theory. Initially a soccer player, he worked as a professional for Ponte Preta and Guarani. When he switched to the Corinthians he was relocated to the city of São Paulo, and in 1919 abandoned soccer. In that city, he studied violão with his brothers, José Matoso and Joaquim Matoso, and in 1926 with Larosa Sobrinho. Musically illiterate, his gifted intuition allowed him to write sophisticated compositions.

In 1926, Sobrinho took him to Rádio Educadora Paulista, where Armandinho formed the first regional of the city of São Paulo. The group participated in the first radio broadcast between Rio and São Paulo that year. The next year, he joined 'Os Turunas Paulistas', a group led by violão virtuoso Canhoto (Américo Jacomino) who was considered the best of the period. In 1928, he performed with João Pernambuco, João dos Santos, Levino da Conceição, and others. In this year he assumed direction of the Rádio Record group, remaining there until 1956, a period when the radio enjoyed local projection. In 1930 he played for Paraguayan virtuoso violonista Agustin Barrios and recorded two 78 rpms through Parlophon with Larosa Sobrinho. An accomplished accompanist, Armandinho recorded just one solo album, a 78 for Decelith, in 1938.
(Info excerpted from a profile by Alvaro Neder in AMG)

To end this entry I insert three examples of choros composed by Armando Neves, here performed by Ovidiov, the first video featuring the best known of Neves' choros, 'Choro no 2'

The next choro performed by Ovidiov is 'Choro no 3' by Armando Neves

The final video this time features Ovidiov playing the choro 'Gurú' by Armandinho Neves -enjoy!

Jo

In Memoriam Jacob

2009-08-07T16:30:00.006+02:00

Next week choro societies and choro musicians in Brazil and the rest of the world will commemorate the sad fact that it is 40 years since the passing away of Jacob Pick Bittencourt, aka Jacob do Bandolim (February 14, 1918 – August 13, 1969). Like Pixinguiha, Jacob do Bandolim has become an icon in the field of choro representing the best in this Brazilian music tradition. Jacob's achievements as a musician, composer and spokesman in favour of the virtues of the original music tradition in Brazil, notable the choro, are beyond the possibility of describing justly in a few words here. If you are new to choro and the tradition of this important musical field of Brazilian culture, one of the main figures representing these aspects in headlines certainly will be Jacob do Bandolim. A short biography and career profile is available by clicking here .

For extensive and detailed information on the legacy of Jacob do Bandolim I'll point serious readers to the website of Instituto Jacob do Bandolim that has maintained a magnificent work to preserve and inform about all relevant issues regarding Jacob (- in Portuguese only, unfortunately). - Another Brazilian resource web, Músicos do Brasil, also has detailed and relevant info on Jacob do Bandolim.

The obvious way to commemorate an artist like Jacob do Bandolim is to play his music, of course. I found an uploaded video at YouTube showing still photos from the life and career of Jacob, the accompanying sound track includes Jacob's voice and the title track audio of his best selling album, "Vibrações" from 1967, featuring Jacob and Época do Ouro

Since Jacob's passing away choro has had a great revival in Brazil and countless musicians have refined their skills and drawn inspiration from the music of Jacob do Bandolim. Below I'll insert a couple of video fragments showing that the legacy of Jacob lives on and is taken good care of by devoted musicians. - First, here's a rendition of the choro "Diabinho Maluco" perfomed by Joel Nascimento - Bandolim; Maurício Carrilho - Violão 6 Cordas; Luiz Otávio Braga - Violão 7 Cordas; Jayme Moraes - Cavaquinho from a Brazilian TV program paying tribute to Jacob do Bandolim (- probably from the mid-1970s)

The most famous composition by Jacob do Bandolim probably is his "Noites Cariocas", here performed by Hamilton de Holanda (bandolim) from a live recording at Radio America recently

One of the great achievements by Jacob was to put the bandolim into the spotlight as a solo voice in choro, his recordings point listeners to the high level of performance demanded from both the soloist and the accompanying musicians. However, performers of other instruments than the bandolim also have drawn inspiration from the playing of Jacob. Here's an example of the young virtuoso of the violão, Alessandro Penezzi, performing Jacob's "Velhos Tempos" in great interplay with arranger and pianist, Laércio de Freitas, from a TV hommage to Jacob do Bandolim

Finally, as an amateur guitarist I was thrilled to view a solo guitar interpretation of Jacob's "Noites Cariocas" by Daniel Nikolas Wirtz from a live performance, a great arrangement and execution of the tune to end this small commemoration of Jacob do Bandolim

Guitar Works Of Garoto

2009-07-05T13:48:00.005+02:00

Towards the end of his career and short life Garoto (Anibal Augusto Sardinha, 1915-55) devoted his talents to composing music for the solo violão in between other works. Luckily, this material as performed by the artist himself has been documented through the private recordings made by Garoto's friend and admirer, Ronoel Simões, finally available on a cd issued 2006 by the German Chanterelle company (CHR 006) containing all of the recordings made between 1950 and 1954. You can read more about the cd here

In 1991 a cd by classical guitarist Paulo Bellinati was issued by the American GSP Recordings containing the guitar works of Garoto (GSP 1002), transcribed and performed by Bellinati in a most convincing production, highly recommended. The cd and the the transcription scores are still available from GSP Recordings and online retailers.

The guitar works of Garoto may be considered semi-classical contributions and have especially appealed to classical trained musicians thanks to the transcriptions in written music made available by Paulo Bellinati. I found some examples at YouTube documenting the fact that Garoto's guitar works are taken good care of and performed with due respect to Bellinati's transcriptions by classical guitarist Denian Arcoleo. Learn more about Denian Arcoleo from his official website, click here

The first example of Denian Arcoleo performing is Garoto's "Tristezas de um Violão", also known as Choro Triste No. 1

The next video features Deinian Arcoleo performing Garoto's "Meditação"

Finally, the last video this time has Denian Arcoleo performing Garoto's waltz "Naqueles Velhos Tempos" - enjoy!

Choro da Saudade - A Popular Classic

2009-06-19T09:42:00.003+02:00

The Paraguayan composer and guitar virtuoso, Augustin Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944), is considered by many to be one of the greatist composers of 20th Century Latin America, although his works (- more than 300 compositions in various genres) only gained world famous recognition decades after his passing away. Thanks to the highly estimated English guitarist, John Williams, the guitar music compositions of Barrios finally were saved from oblivion and a selection of these were recorded by Williams in the mid-1970s. The record was issued by CBS and became a huge success with the public and established Barrios' name a place among the composers of the canon of classical guitar music repertoire. One of the compositions by Barrios recorded by John Williams was 'Choro da Saudade'. I found a video performance dated 1976 featuring Williams playing 'Choro da Saudade'

The composition is a choro, of course, the structure of the music has the form of a rondo - A, B, A, C, B, A. Note the main theme, A, keeps coming back to haunt, as in the feelings of yearning or lament. “Saudade” is a hard word to translate into English, it refers to nostalgia, or feelings of yearning, such as in homesickness - the inspiration expressed in the A-part. The first time the work was featured in a concert programme of Barrios was dated November 1929. The manuscript was written out by Barrios in 1929, dedicated to Americo Camargo, the son of a good friend who had died tragicly young. - The composition is notorious among guitarists for it’s long left hand stretches, many finding impossible to play. It may be that this piece is the first example of the hinge barre being used in classical guitar music. This is where the left hand barre stretches across the strings, but instead of being across fret one, the tip of the finger reaches to fret two. Thus enabling the hand to reach to higher positions. (info excerpted from article by Mark Antony at Guitar World )

Since John Williams recorded the piece in 1976 'Choro da Saudade' has become a challenging composition of the classical standard guitar book, as mentioned. You'll find various examples uploaded at YouTube of performances of the piece, some of them differ in interpretation of tempo and execution - not all classical trained guitarists have the same conception of the music. Anyway, to end this small contribution about this famous guitar composition I'll insert a video performance by a Brasilian artist - João Rabello, son of Paulinho da Viola, grandson of Cesar Faria and his uncle being the late Raphael Rabello. Learn more about João Rabello at his official web (- in Portuguese and English), click here

From a TV-program João Rabello performs "Choro da Saudade" - enjoy!

The Violão Tenor Dinâmico

2009-05-31T14:51:00.006+02:00

According to several sources, Garoto (Anibal Augusto Sardinha, 1915-55) introduced the tenor guitar in Brazil. Garoto had acquired a Triolian metal body 4 string tenor guitar similar to the one shown above, manufactured by the American National Instruments company, in 1933, but he was later to use a Brasilian made instrument of the same 'family', for which he is best known from numerous recordings during the 1930s and throughout his career, the Del Vechio tenor dinãmico.

This instrument was manufactured by the luthier Del Vechio of São Paulo from the mid-1930s and represents a modified issue of the American prototype. The biggest difference between the American and the Brasilian instrument is that the Triolian used steel for the body, while the Del Vechio body is made of wood. Both instruments have build in resonator 'cones' instead of the common sound hole, a kind of acoustic amplifying system, which aids in distributing the sound and makes it loud to the benefit of the musician playing in an ensemble of other instruments. The sound of the Del Vechio dinãmico is almost similar to the sound generated by a dobro and instantly recognisable. - Here's a video performance featuring a dobro that gets close to the sound:

Garoto may have been the first to use the Del Vechio tenor dinãmico in recordings and live performance, but he was soon followed by other musicians that would take advantage of the special sound generated by the instrument, a.o. Zé Menezes and Claudionor Cruz. But few professional musicians have devoted their talents entirely to the tenor dinãmico, an exception, however, was Álvaro Brochado. - Álvaro Brochado Hilsdorf (1923-1997) started his career playing violão, bandolim and the tenor banjo, but soon concentrated on the violão tenor and therefore was known as “Álvaro do Violão Tenor”. He worked as a staff musician at local radio stations (Rádio Jornal Primavera and Rádio Clube de Rio Claro), but was soon featured at radio networks in São Paulo and Rio as well after touring Brazil accompanying vocalist Euclides Alves. At one point he met with and became a friend of Garoto, which caused in a curious pact between the two musicians: The first of them to pass away would be honored by the other through a recording. In this way Àlvaro Brochado's first LP, Homenagem a “Garoto”, was initiated and recorded including a choro composition by Brochado paying homage to Garoto, "Exaltação a Garoto". Álvaro Brochado recorded several LPs and a couple of cds during his career, all of them devoted to his prefered instrument, the Del Vechio tenor dinãmico, and the traditional choros and waltzes by renown Brasilian composers besides selfcomposed pieces in the tradition. Learn more from the website dedicated to the legacy of Álvaro do Violão Tenor (- in Portuguese), click here

Unfortunately, none of the recordings by Álvaro Brochado seem to be commercially available today, and I have not found any video material featuring this artist. However, to end this entry I insert a couple of video fragments featuring the Del Vechio tenor dinãmico in action. The first is a re-up from a TV performance featuring a young Alessandro Penezzi with Conjunto Som Brasileiro playing "Numa Seresta", a choro by Luiz Americano

The last video this time is recorded earlier this year at Clube Do Choro De Londrina featuring Robertão ( Violão), Alberto ( Cavaquinho), Cabeção ( Violão Tenor). The music is the well known waltz by Dilermando Reis, "Se Ela Perguntar"

Danceable Music, Foxtrot Meets Choro

2009-05-12T23:13:00.004+02:00

Entertainment has always had a demand for danceable music. 20th Century popular music has tried to connect with this demand creating various and changing dance patterns through different music styles - tango, maxixe, ragtime, charleston and fox-trot, to name but a few. With the introduction of ragtime around 1900 a new craze among the dancing public was born in the US - the originator of classic ragtime, Scott Joplin, was aware of this, one of his compositions, 'The Ragtime Dance - A Ragtime Two-Step' (1902), points to this and moreover has instruction of the appropiate steps included in the score.

The foxtrot is a ballroom dance which is often said to take its name from its inventor, the vaudeville actor Harry Fox; however the exact origins are unclear. At its inception, the foxtrot was originally danced to ragtime. Today, the dance is customarily accompanied by the same big band music to which swing is also danced. Here's a small demonstration of the foxtrot as danced in the 1920s

The foxtrot also reached Brazil and became a part of high society dancing events in the 1920s and even choro musicians had to cope with this new dancing style. It's an interesting fact that renown choro musicians like João Pernambuco actually made compositions that were labeled as 'foxtrot' - his 'Rosa Carioca' (recorded 1929) documents this. The tune as played by João Pernambuco accompanied by Zezinho is available during Fabio Zanon's program devoted to the music of João Pernambuco at Rádio Cultura, to be reached here

Another choro guitarist, Rogério Guimarães, also was inspired by the foxtrot and recorded his composition 'Uma noite na Urca' 1928 for Odeon, labeled as foxtrot. You can hear the music in streaming audio from Instituto Moreira Salles by clicking here

The foxtrot seems to have a long tradition among choro musicians, in 1955 Abel Ferraira recorded a choro , 'Acariciando', played in the danceable foxtrot style, you may listen to the audio by clicking here

To end this small entry, here's an entertaining vue of some of the various dances that emerged during 'The Roaring Twenties' - enjoy!

Choro Day

2009-04-17T10:20:00.004+02:00

Next week the official Choro Day ( 23. April) will be celebrated all over Brazil and in other parts of the world, where choro is an integrated musical tradition of cultural events. Choro Day is also the celebration of Pixinguinha, the 23. April this year we'll commemorate the fact that it is Pixinguinha's 112th birthday. I suggest and encourage readers of this blog to look up info in the local media about events according Choro Day in your area. Unfortunately, none have been arranged at my place, but instead I found some video fragments at YouTube to get into the right mood for celebrating Choro Day and the music of Pixinguinha.

From a TV program I found a fragment featuring Déo Rian and Época de Ouro playing a couple of well known Pixinguinha compositions - the program is hosted by Paulinho da Viola and probably is recorded late 1960s or early 1970s

From a performance at the Villagio Café-SP last year here is a fragment featuring Danilo Brito (bandolim), Alessandro Penezzi (violão), Proveta (sax) a.o. playing Pixinguinha's 'Cochichando'

Finally, here's the historical video fragment featuring Pixinguinha himself accompanied by unidentified conjunto playing 'Carinhoso' - enjoy!

Lingua de Preto

2009-03-31T22:25:00.003+02:00

One of the first recordings by Garoto that fascinated me was his 1949 recording of the classic choro 'Lingua de preto' composed by Honorino Lopes (1884-1909). The composer, Honorino Lopes, is rather unknown, he died 25 years old from tuberculosis, but is remembered for this particular choro that remains a part of the choro standard repertoire. Jacob do Bandolim as well as Benedito Lacerdo accompanied by Pixinguinha also recorded the tune in 1949. The choro was recorded for the first time between 1907 and 1912 by the Banda da Força Policial do Estado de São Paulo for the Odeon label and again in 1913 by the Banda da Casa Edison. None of these first recordings are available in the online discoteque at Instituto Moreia Salles. However, if you click your right mouse button, you have the opportunity to listen to the streaming audio of the mentioned recording by Garoto of 'Lingua de preto' here

As demonstrated in the streaming audio, Garoto plays the solo voice on violão tenor. Jacob do Bandolim's rendition features the bandolim as solo voice, of course. You may listen to the 1949 recording by Jacob do Bandolim using the same procedure as mentioned above clicking here

Here's a contemporary reading of 'Lingua de preto' performed by a choro ensemble from the conservatory of Pernambuco, cavaquinho is playing lead

Finally, from a roda de choro recently at the Bandolim de Ouro music shop in Rio da Janeiro featuring Bruno Rian playing the solo on bandolim

Choro & Ragtime

2009-03-15T16:06:00.007+01:00

Ragtime is an American music style that emerged at around the same time as choro during the late decades of the XIX. Century. There are obvious similarities between ragtime and choro, both music styles draw from European music tradition and blend with Afro rhythm into a characteristic syncopated music form that evolved in two parallel directions. Musicologists have been aware of the similarities (- and differences) between ragtime and choro for quite some time, but just recently an attempt has been made to bring the two music traditions together.

The good people at ChoroMusic.com, headed by flutist Daniel Dalarossa, have prepared yet another interesting project, this time focusing on choro and ragtime. According to the extensive notes at the website of ChoroMusic.com the aim of the project has been to let a choro ensemble play typical ragtime pieces using the instruments commonly featured in a traditional choro group and adding choro rythm and improvisation to the music performed. I was pointed to the recorded music by a friend, who has downloaded the recorded 10 pieces offered for purchase at the ChoroMusic.com website, which also offers the written scores to be used by musicians who would like to learn and play along. The recorded ragtime pieces are played once as intended by the composer, second time through improvisation is added, generally spoken. The result is marvellous, if you like ragtime, the 'special touch' added by competent choro players brings a sparkling new life into both well known compositions by Scott Joplin as well as other ragtime composers. Even though you are not a musician, I recommend these joyful renditions of classic ragtime. Learn more about the participating musicians, scores and recorded music for purchase at ChoroMusic.com, click here

Scott Joplin (1868-1917) is generally recognised as one of the originators of the classic ragtime style, his compositions for piano - like the shown 'Maple Leaf Rag' (1899) - were popular in the US around 1900, the score of 'Maple Leaf Rag' sold in more than one million copies. The piano was the favoured instrument for home entertainment, thus, written scores for piano of popular music were in high demand. Recordings of original ragtime played by pianists were scarce as recording fascilities (- most often cylinders were used) prevented pianists to participate. Instead pianists were forced to rely on the reading abilities of other pianists to spread their compositions, although some of them also cut piano rolls to be used by mechanical player pianos. The mechanical sound of a player piano roll may have caused the deminising interest in ragtime, when recording possibilites became better through the phonogram discs. Anyway, it's a fact that ragtime had its heyday from 1900 to 1917, World War I seems to have moved the general interest in ragtime into other directions. There was a short revival during the 1950s thanks to a relived interest in dixieland jazz and its origins in ragtime, but it was not until the early 1970s a new craze for ragtime evolved, thanks to a very popular movie from 1972, 'The Sting', that featured soundtrack music of compositions by Scott Joplin, including notable ragtime pieces like 'The Entertainer', 'The Easy Winners' a.o.

Given the fact that most of classic ragtime is composed with the aim of being played by a piano it may seem a bit strange to have a string or wind ensemble playing the music. But as it happened with the compositions written by Ernesto Nazareth, string ensembles or even brass bands soon started playing this kind of popular music. In original recorded ragtime you'll find examples of full brass bands playing 'Maple Leaf Rag' and other Joplin pieces, but the most interesting renditions are those applied by banjo players accompanied by a piano or small string ensemble. The banjo was a novelty instrument at the time when ragtime emerged, and this fact may seem to be a part of the reason for quite a lot of recorded banjo ragtime from the heyday of the genre. Virtuosi like Vess Ossman and Fred van Eps (see picture) set the standard in this very demanding branch of playing the banjo, today only few people seem to have an interest in carrying on the torch. However, here's one, who gives it a fair try:

As it happend with choro also ragtime was absorbed by all sorts of musicians, erudite as well as self taught, during the process both musical forms evolved in different directions. Choro luckily survived and left a legacy of wonderful music kept alive to this day by devoted individuals. Ragtime has had its ups and downs, but maybe a new era is in sight thanks to ensembles like the one viewed here:

If you have become interested in listening to string ragtime, you may have an opportunity to join an event during August this year. The first Danish Folk, Blues & Ragtime Guitar Festival is scheduled from August 5h to 7th and features great string ragtime performes. Learn more from the festival's official website, click here

Stardust - A Meeting Of The Giants

2009-02-28T11:28:00.003+01:00

What happens when choro musicians get together in an informal setting? They play together and exchange experience regarding their instruments and playing technique. This is not 'small talk', not even among famous and well known musicians with a stellar career. Why not? Because choro is a serious thing that has to be refined to be kept alive at its best, all the time. Keeping this virtue in mind does not exclude 'having fun' and learning from each other, the result often is magic when the participating musicians 'cut loose' and just play for their own enjoyment to the benefit of the music. This is the way 'stardust' is generated, and how lucky we are to have the chance to have a view of such a meeting of the giants, who know their stuff inside out.

Recently the young bandolim player of the Choro das 3, Elisa Meyer, met with Hamilton de Holanda and Mike Marshall informally, the event luckily was recorded. The first video features Elisa and Hamilton

The second video from the same event features Elisa and Mike Marshall - enjoy!

Carmen Miranda Centennial

2009-02-11T11:34:00.005+01:00

This week Brazil is celebrating the centennial of singer, actress and moviestar, Carmen Miranda. - Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha was born on February 9, 1909, in Marco de Canavez, Portugal. Her familiy moved to Rio de Janeiro when she was about 2 years old. As a young woman she worked as a milliner. She was discovered at a talent show, and in 1929 she signed on with the Victor Recording Company.Her career was established throughout 1930s, she had success as a radio and recording artist, she was a star at the carnaval, became an actress taking part in movies and toured South America as a 'musical ambassador' for the Brazilian government. In 1939 she was offered a tour of the USA and with this step her second career was launched. Together with her Brazilian group of musicians, O Bando da Lua featuring Garoto, she was a sensation with the American public, and soon she was offered film work in Hollywood and, after moving to the USA, she became a celebrity and ranked among the highest paid artists in the country throughout the 1940s. She made several films in the USA, had success as an actress and also made recordings with her Bando da Lua, the first authentic Brazilian music including choros and sambas made digestable for an American audience. These recordings have since been reissued several times and are still worth listening to thanks to the charming voice of Carmen Miranda and the great accompaniment of her Banda do Lua.

Despite her official success with the public Carmen Miranda suffered from the stress as an Americanized Hollywood celebrity, she died of a heart attack on August the 5th, 1955. However, she'll forever be remembered as the prime icon of Brazilian music by the general public with little knowledge of the vast cultural heritage of Brazil. Carmen Miranda will remain 'The Lady with the tutti fruit hat' or the 'Brazilian Bombshell', so let's end this small commemoration enjoying Carmen in action with one of her greatest hits, 'Tico-tico no fúba', here in a sequence from her first Hollywood movie, 'Down Argentine Way' (1940):

Sounds From The Heart - Danilo Brito

2009-01-31T20:35:00.007+01:00

Among the young generation of contemporary Brazilian artists devoting their talent and skills to choro, Danilo Brito stands out as an excellent example of a gifted musician, who knows his roots in the tradition and has contributed with splendid renditions of classic compositions by choro icons like Jacob do Bandolim, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Ernesto Nazareth and Pixinguinha as well as being a composer and arranger of his own material adding new dimensions to the choro standard repertoire.

Danilo Ezequiel Brito (b 1985) is from São Paulo, born into a musical family as the youngest of five children - his father, originally from the state of Paraíba in the Northeast of Brazil, was an active musician on the São Paulo music scene during the 1960s as a bandolimist. At an early age young Danilo started playing his father's bandolim and the cavaquinho, and it has been said that he at age five once surprised everyone by playing a sequence from the tune “Delicado”, by Waldir Azevedo, that he had learned on his own. At age eleven he lived for a year in Paraíba where he had the opportunity to improve his technique on both the bandolim and the cavaquinho, learning from friends of his family and having his debut in a live performance on a radio program. Back to São Paulo, he started to attend rodas de choro organized by various music shops dedicating his studies equally between the cavaquinho and the mandolin. He was still playing his father’s old bandolim when he got his first bandolim made by a luthier. From this point on, Danilo adopted the bandolim as his main instrument, always finding time to dedicate to it and to practice incessantly. Nevertheless, he never gave up playing the cavaquinho and he also started playing violão tenor. - Danilo was impressive not only because of his youth but also because of his superb technique with which he played valsas, choros, polkas, sambas and frevos. He began to receive invitations from celebrities and artists to perform and to give demonstrations of his talent and interviews to the press. He then started giving his first musical recitals on stage. The first time he played a solo performance was at UNIBAN (Bandeirantes University), along with the group Bachorando. Next step in his career was taken when he was offered the opportunity to record his first cd, shown above. The cd is a marvellous debut by a 13 year old kid supported by a classic choro ensemble, containing material by Jacob do Bandolim, Chiquinha Gonzaga a.o. besides a couple of examples of Danilo's own compositions. You may listen to the cd at full length on Rádio UOL by clicking here

In 2004 Danilo Brito entered and won the 7th annual VISA Awards for best instrumentalist on any instrument, one of the most important awards in Brazil – beating out 514 well-trained and skillful competitors. In winning the VISA Awards he gained the opportunity to record his secound cd, shown above. This second CD, entitled “Perambulando”, was released in 2005. Besides many traditional choro pieces, the CD contains some of his own compositions including the blistering "Sussuarana" as well as the title track. His tenor guitar work is featured on “Um Choro na Madrugada” and he has been highly praised for his interpretation of "Confidências", by choro pioneer Ernesto Nazareth. He is joined on several pieces by legendary musicians such as Altamiro Carrilho on flute, Toninho Ferragutti on accordion, and Nailor Profeta on clarinet. - The cd is still available and is highly recomended as a splendid example of Danilo Brito's great artistic skills.

Last year Danilo Brito recorded his third cd, "Sem Restrições", containing more examples of his own compositions as well as compositions by Alessandro Penezzi and Luperce Miranda. The cd was released in Brazil late 2008 and is available from online stores in Brazil, but I haven't had the opportunity to listen to it, yet. However, I found a filmed sequence from the live performance at the release concert, inserted below

Danilo Brito definitely belongs to the young heard of extraordinarily talented Brazilian musicians who deserve our full attention, he is a member of the masterclass of contemporary bandolimists like Hamilton de Holanda, Jorge Cardoso and Dudu Maia a.o.. I'm convinced that choro has a bright future ahead thanks to great talents like Danilo Brito. - Learn more about Danilo Brito from his official web (- in Portugues and English), click here

To end this small contribution I insert a couple of videos from a live performance in October 2008 featuring Danilo Brito and Rogério Caetano (violão 7 cordas) - here's a rendition of the classic choro "Espinha de Bacalhau"

Finally, here's the duo's interpretation of "Gostosinho" - enjoy!

Jo

Daniel Volovets

2009-01-24T09:52:00.007+01:00

Love to point you to a young all-round US guitar player, who is fascinated by Brazilian music: Daniel Volovets.

The tune Delicado, a Waldir Azevedo composition, has been an inspiration for hunderds of guitar players all over the world. Jo wrote about this contribution Azevedo lately.

Thanks to this blog contribution I was contacted by a young guitar player Daniel Volovets, 16 years old, who sent me his version of this popular Brazilian choro-tune, I love to share with you.

Daniel Volovets lives in Minnesota (USA) and started to play the guitar at seven. Nowadays, ten years later, his repertoire contains classical guitar pieces, but also flamenco and Brazilian music. He studies the guitar with Anatoly
Shapiro and Tony Hauser. The latter is well known for his interpretations of classical, flamenco, and Latin-American music. Now he's a student at the Minnesota University and the School of Music of Minnesota.
Daniel Volovets, who is also an expert in video-games, like the Nintendo-games, released, despite his young age, two albums: Melodias Brasileiras and Watercolors of the World. I can't tell you anything about his first 2006 album ( Melodias Brasileiras ) ( and that's a pity of course as the title suggests some great music) but his latest one contains guitar pieces from all over the world; from Brazil, Spain, Russia, and Italy. Daniel Volovets is fascinated by the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paco de Lucia and Hermeto Pascoal. On this 2008 Watercolors of the World you can find several tracks related to Brasil composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, like Quiet Night of Quiet Stars, Luiza, Wave and the well known One-Note Samba. Other well known tunes on this album are Luiz Bonfa's Manha de Carnaval. Most tracks, dedicated to Brasil on this album are samba's and bossa novas, but there is one Choro tune, titled Sons de Carrilhoes a Joao Pernambuco composition. If you click on that link you can hear a small fragment of it.

Love to share a fragment with you, although no Choro music, but a less known Carlos Jobim composition titled Andorinh and the well known Insensatez ( = How Insensitive ), also a well known jazz standard of the 1960s.

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

http://www.myspace.com/hanskoert

Delicado

2009-01-02T12:11:00.006+01:00

Waldir Azevedo (1923-1980) was a pioneer in exploring the cavaquinho as a solo instrument and he is considered one of the most successful choro musicians ever. He composed about 130 compositions in diverse genres, recorded extensively throughout his career and had success both in Brazil and internationally, performing in concerts and TV broadcasts worldwide. Azevedo started his solo career in 1949 recording the successful choro "Brasileirinho" for Continental/Todamerica, released January 1950. November 1950 he recorded his second smash hit, the baião "Delicado", released February 1951. I found an uploaded video on YouTube, which has the original soundtrack of "Delicado" - here from the Decca 45 rpm issue:

"Delicado" soon became a part of the standard repertoire with choro ensembles besides being exploited by the pop music industry through countless recordings that took advantage of the success of the original. I like the original the best, but I'm also thrilled when listening to contemporary renditions of the tune performed by devoted choro musicians - here's an example from a roda de choro featuring Grupo Cinco Companheiros with Paulão do Cavaco playing the solo as intended by Azevedo:

As mentioned above, countless versions of "Delicado" have been recorded since the release of the original in 1951 - one of my favorites is the guitar rendition by Oscar Alemán y su Conjunto from October 1951, a tribute from a master, who started his career playing the cavaquinho in the streets of Santos and ended up one of the best guitarists ever. Unfortunately, there is no filmed evidence of Alemán's incredible rendition of "Delicado", however, other guitarists have also transcribed the tune in a convincing arrangement - here's a contemporary example featuring a guitar quartet, Quarteto Abayomi, performing the tune straight:

I wish you a Happy New Year 2009/Feliz Ano Novo 2009!
Jo

Seasons Greetings

2008-12-15T11:07:00.004+01:00

I want to thanks the readers of this blog for sharing interest in the Brazilian choro, I'll continue posting new blogentries in 2009, but no longer on a weekly basis, as I have other obligations to take care of. The blog has had weekly entries since August 2006 and has by now reached a number of 180+ entries since then. It takes time to do proper research, I am not an expert, just a curious investigator interested in sharing my limited knowledge on the subject with other people, who may have a similar interest in choro. Anyway, if my small contributions have helped people to open their senses for one of the world's most beautiful and fascinating music traditions, I'm happy and content. - I wish you all a Merry X-mas and a Happy New Year!

One of my first encounters with the Brazilian violão as played by a contemporary and highly estimated artist was through listening to some of the released recordings by Carlos Barbosa-Lima, who recorded several outstanding solo-albums for the American Concord label during the 1980s. - Carlos Barbosa-Lima (b.1944) is a native Brazilian, who began studying the guitar when he was seven . Among his teachers were the influential Brazilian guitarist Isaias Savio and further Andres Segovia. While still a child, he was performing in public and he made his recording debut when he was just 12. He first toured the United States in 1967 and during 1971-72 Barbosa-Lima performed in London and New York, gaining a worldwide reputation. He lived in New York for quite a few years before settling in Puerto Rico. Carlos Barbosa-Lima's tasteful yet virtuosic control of the guitar has resulted in consistently delightful solo recitals that appeal to a wide audience. His releases have found him exploring the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, George Gershwin, Scott Joplin, Luiz Bonfa, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein (songs from West Side Story) and a variety of lesser known Brazilian composers.(info excerpted from AMG)

I found several uploaded videos at YouTube featuring Carlos Barbosa-Lima, I insert some examples below to share these highly enjoyable renditions of classic choro pieces by a master of the violão, who knows his roots. - Here's a rendition of "Tico tico no fúba" from a live-performance with accompaniement by a ukulele player!

Here's a solo recital of Nazareth's "Odeon":

Finally, here's Carlos Barbosa-Lima's terrific solo recital of Pixinguinha's "Um a zero" from a live performance - enjoy!

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Stay tuned, best wishes for the seasons holidays!

Yamandú Costa - Wizard of The Violão de 7 Cordas

2008-12-05T12:06:00.005+01:00

One of the highlights in Mika Kaurismäki's 2005 documentary film on choro in Rio, 'Brasileirinho', is the scene with Yamandú Costa playing Pixinguinha's 'Carinhoso' alone on stage fronting an audience of hundreds of people spellbound by Yamandú's engaging stage appearance and little by little joining in singing Braguinha's lyrics and thus making the performance a mutual experience - a true spiritual community tied together by the magic of Yamandú's guitar, exposing the soul of choro to the spectator of the film.

Yamandú's stage appearance is pure magic , a spontaneous explosion of aristic vitality that is not often seen in entertainment nowadays where every step and lift of an eybrow by the performer on stage seems to be studied in advance and a conscientious gimmick applied to gain the wanted success. Not the issue regarding Yamandú - the magic is a natural effect of the simple fact that he is an authentic artist, not just another pretender. This does not mean, however, that Yamandú does not do work-out to gain success during performance, of course he does - but his stage appearance comes naturally from the heart and soul of a true artist, I'm convinced.

Yamandú Costa (b.1980) is from Passo Fundo in the Southern part of Brazil and he started to study the violão at seven years of age with his father, Algacir Costa, leader of the group Os Fronteiriços, and he mastered the instrument after studying under Lúcio Yanel, an Argentine virtuoso rooted in Brazil. At fifteen he studied the folk music of Southern Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. After hearing Radamés Gnattali, he began to study the music of other Brazilians, such as Baden Powell de Aquino, Tom Jobim and Raphael Rabello. At seventeen he played in São Paulo for the first time and he was soon to be recognized as the musician to revive Brazilian guitar music. At that time Yamandú had decided to make the violão de 7 cordas his main instrument, and he has since evolved as a true virtosic master of this Brazilian instrument, both as a soloist and as an accompanist. He has performed together with the cream of Brazilian MPB artists, leads his own trio and has toured worldwide besides recording, composing and arranging. Learn more about his career from the official website, click here

The shown cd by Yamandú Costa,'Mafuá', has been released recently by the German label Acoustic Music and this is the first cd fully devoted to Yamandú's skills as a composer and soloist. The cd has 13 tracks of music composed, arranged and played by Yamandú on the violão de 7 cordas, a tour-de-force exposing his virtuosic skills as a performer of different styles, but all with a touch of genius that is his very own. You can hear elements of choro, samba, bossa and Argentine roots music mixed with inspiration from Bach and even the flamenco tradition. The title tune, 'Mafuá' (- meaning 'shambles' in English), is a choro that shows off Yamadú's mastering of the genre in a convincing and engaging performance of the tune. Other titles, like i.e. 'El negro del blanco' mixes elements of Argentine roots music (chammamé and milonga) with Brazilian elements applying a breathtaking technique that borrows from both flamenco and gaucho tradition, also present in the last track on the cd, 'Tipo bicho'. Tunes like 'Samba pro Rafa' and 'Bostempornea' pay tribute to the inspiration from Raphael Rabello and Baden Powell, and you'll probably detect other influences as well when listening to the cd. Do not hesitate to get a copy of this fabulous album, which may rank as the record of the year 2008, if you like high quality guitar music. Definitely recommended! - Learn more about tracklist and listen to audioclips clicking here

YouTube has several upoloaded videos featuring Yamandú Costa, I found a lengthy excerpt of a recorded live-performance in Tel Aviv, Israel, from November this year. Yamandú plays three tunes, the first is a part of 'Bachbaridade', the next is the title tune of the mentioned cd, 'Mafuá' and finally you'll have a rendition of Nazareth's 'Breijeiro' - enjoy Yamandú in action!

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This blogpost will be the last on a regular weekly basis in 2008, from 2009 I've decided to post only once in a while.

'Edinho no choro'

2008-11-28T11:59:00.008+01:00

Recently I was pointed to a recording that seems to be a pioneer recording of the electric guitar used in choro. I got curious and searched the online discoteque at Instituo Moreira Salles hoping to find the recording there and having the possibility of listening to it. I was lucky, I found the record searching the title stated in headline above. If you are unfamilar with the search facility at Instituto Moreira Salles, you have the possibility to listen to 'Edinho no choro' by clicking here or headline - the musicplayer available at Instituto Moreira Salles opens in a new window and then you can listen to the streaming audio after it has loaded.

'Edinho no choro' was released on a Continental 78 rpm in 1945 (Continental, 15.337) and it is performed by Pereira Filho playing the electric guitar accompanied by his Conjunto. Comparing the recording with recordings of the electric guitar from the same time made in the USA or Europe the sound of the instrument is rough and distorted in certain sequences caused by problems with an adequate volume control during recording, anyway, a lot of early recordings of the electric guitar suffer from the same problem, refining of pick-ups at the guitar, amplifiers and recording equipment had to wait another decade to be solved sufficiently. Never mind, the recording of 'Edinho no choro' is a valuable historical document of the electric guitar used in choro, especially considering the fact that choro traditionally has been performed using acoustic instruments only. Of course, there are other early examples of an electric instrument used in choro - i.e. Garoto (Anibal Augusto Sardinha) made recordings of choro and related music 1943 playing the electric lap steel guitar accompanied by pianist Carolina Cardoso de Menezes (- like in the USA the electric lap steel guitar seems to have been the first electric string instrument used in Brazil).

No photo and not much info available on the main performer of 'Edinho no choro', however, here is an English summary of the profile in Dictonário Cravo Albin - the main source in Portuguese about Brazilian MPB artists.

Pereira Filho (João Pereira Filho) (1914-1986) was born in Rio de Jaineiro as a son of a professor of the violão, João Pereira. Already as a kid of 4 years of age he started playing the cavaquinho and he had bandolim lessons with his father even before he could read. While at primary school he formed small conjuntos with his school mates and performed at private parties, soon deciding to study the violão as his main instrument. At 11 years of age he participated in a festival promoted by Istituto Nacional de Música and soon after he was featured in a spectacle at Teatro Lírico, "Reisados e cheganças", promoted by the city Hall of the City of Rio de Janeiro. He composed his first piece for solo violão,"Variações sobre cateretê", in 1929, and in 1930 he became a member of Orquestra de Napoleão Tavares. In 1932, he joined Orquestra de Ioiô, where he stayed as a member the following eight years. In 1933, he recorded his first solo record for Victor of his own compositions, "Jongo africano" and the waltz "Áurea". In 1936, he recorded "Variações sobre cateretê" for Victor, and in 1937 he recorded the samba canção, "Tua partida", together with Mário Morais and vocal by Francisco Alves, also for Victor. - In 1941, Pereira Filho formed his own Conjunto. In 1944, he accompanied singers Dircinha Batista and Déo in two recordings, and in 1945 he recorded "Edinho no choro" for Continental. In 1951, Pereira Filho e seu Conjunto accompanied Pedro Raimundo in five recordings for the Todamérica label, and in 1953 Pereira Filho recorded his own "Conversa fiada" and "Serenata havaiana" for Todamérica. Accompanied by his Conjunto he also recorded the bolero "Garoa" and the dobrado "Borba gato" for Continental the same year. In 1959, Pereira Filho recorded his own "Noite sem rumo" for Todamérica, which seems to be his last solo recording.

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Jo

Celebration

2008-11-21T12:18:00.008+01:00

This week my friend, Hans - co-editor and supervisor of this blog - is celebrating that his keepswinging-blogspot has reached the magical number of 1000 entries since its start in February 2006. An amazing effort considering the fact that he has been posting always well researched and engaging posts on a daily basis about music and other passions that keep him swinging and have attracted readers from all over the world to visit his blog regularly. I congratulate you, dear Hans, with the blogentry no 1000 that has been published today, and I sincerely want to encourage readers of the choro-music blogspot also to pay your keepswinging blog a visit - a list of all posted subjects is to be found by clicking here

Had it not been for my friendship with this remarkable man and blogger extraordinaire, this blogspot devoted to the Brazilian choro music probably would not have been published in this part of the world, I guess. It was Hans' idea to make a blog about choro music, which he loves just as much as I do, following an unstopable enthusiasm for new inputs regarding swinging affairs. By coincidence I happend to be the person, who had the pleasure of introducing Hans to the subject, but had it not been for his encouragement and belief in my limited knowledge and ability, I had not dared to join in and write about a culture I only know of as an outside spectator, inspecting my own reactions from meetings with a musical universe of joy and passion, an authentic culture almost unknown in the Western part of the world dominated by American culture. Thank you, Hans, for your back-up and for the passion we are sharing here regarding choro music!

Last week I received the shown cd, "The Best of Ernesto Nazareth", just released by ChoroMusic.com, a sample-cd promoting the project of spreading knowledge about choro music by publishing written scores and enclosed recorded music to be used by musicians interested in getting started with playing choro. I have mentioned the project by ChoroMusic.com earlier, an excellent effort encouraging serious musicians to get involved with choro taking advantage of the written music and the play-along cds accompanying the sheet. If you are a musician interested in choro, this is a fairly good way to engage into choro by using the music-minus-one (- you're the soloist) method, I recommend a visit at the website of ChoroMusic.com to learn more about the project and music already published, click logo below

The shown cd should be available from ChoroMusic.com shortly, I had my copy sent from their division in São Paulo, Brazil (- thanks a lot to Isabella Leite for manufacturing my request and to Daniel Dalarossa, president of ChoroMusic.com, for directing me a free copy) - the cd is being released both in Brazil and the USA at the same time. Even though you are not a musician, this cd is worth your money, the music and arrangement of 16 compositions by Ernesto Nazareth, Rei do Choro are just excellent and well performed by a team of skilled musicians. Among featured soloists are Daniela Spielmann (soprano & tenor sax), Izaís do Bandolim & Milton Mori (bandolim), Nailor Proveta & Luca Raele (clarinet), Daniel Allain, Daniel Dalarossa & Toninho Carrasqueira (flute). The soloists are accompanied by a regional featuring Arnaldinho do Cavaco (cavaquinho), Edmilson Capelupi (violão de 7 cordas), Lula Gama (violão) and Betinho Sodré (pandeiro). The recorded compositions by Nazareth include famous pieces like 'Ameno Resedá', 'Apanhei-te Cavaquinho', 'Brejeiro', 'Odeon', 'Escorregando' and 'Batuque' - all composed for the piano, but here arranged for choro ensemble from the original scores. Moreover, two unpublished compositions by Nazareth, 'Zizinha' (1889) and 'Ideal' (1905) are also included - both very well arranged and performed like the rest.

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To end this, I insert a couple of videos celebrating some of Nazareth's most popular pieces - here is a solo guitar version of 'Odeon'

Finally, here is Marco de Pinno Quarteto from a live-performance playing 'Apanhei-te cavaquinho'

Saudade que passa

2008-11-14T11:51:00.005+01:00

Choro, samba and other popular genres of Brazil often seem to be categorized as 'Latin', when you browse through career profiles of artists in various sources available at the web or in short articles in printed books designated to give an overview of the musical background of a certain artist. This procedure seems to be the norm regarding musicians having their main career in jazz or popular music in the USA, however, the word 'Latin' does not state the tradition of the various musical sources supposed to be contained in the concept - in short, the 'Latin'-concept is unclear and without a precise meaning, making the word easy to use by journalistst and writers appealing to a public more interested in the colour of the underwear of the artist than the musical background. I was reminded of this, when I recently tried to look up information in English about the early career of Laurindo Almeida (1917-1995), the well-known Brazilian guitarist having his main career in the USA. In the general public, Almeida is known as a 'Latin' guitar player, who had his breakthrough in the States late 1940s as a member of Stan Kenton's big band, later in the 1950s he would be the first to inspire jazzmusicans to be interested in Brazilian music styles through a co-operation with Bud Shank, with whom Almeida made some now famous recordings in 1951, introducing 'jazz samba' to an American public. When Almeida moved permanently to the USA mid-1950s, his career spanned both jazz, classical and popular music - his work as a composer, arranger and guitarist is impressive, he made more than 800 compositions and participated in a great number of recordings - info about this chapter of his career is easily found in articles written in English. Anyway, here I like to put some focus on his early career in Brazil by pointing to his first solo recording, made 1938.

Laurindo de Almeida was born 1917 in a small town in the state of São Paulo as a member of a large musical family. His father held an occupation as a railroad worker, but spent his leisure time as an amateur musician participating in serestas (- in English: serenade sessions). His mother was an amateur pianist, who taught Laurindo the basics of music, and a sister taught him to play the violão in secret, an instrument he was attracted to already as a kid. At the age of 12 he would accompany his father and brothers in the serestas, by 15 he moved to São Paulo to find his fortune as a musician and to take part in the political riots of the city. In 1932, he met and got aquainted with Garoto while staying at a hospital, and they would later become partners, when Laurindo moved to Rio de Jainero and in 1936 joined as a staff musician at Rádio Mayrink Veiga. Garoto and Laurindo worked together as studio musicians accompanying various popular artist of the time, i.e. Carmen Miranda, and they also recorded together as a duo accompanying other vocalists and instrumentalists.

Together with guitarist Gastão Bueno Lobo and Garoto Laurindo had success with programs at Rádio Mayrink Veiga performing as Conjunto Hawaiano for some time, displaying a string ensemble influenced by the Hawaiian way of playing the (slide) guitar, probably inspired by the experience of Gastão Lobo, who had had success playing the Hawaiian slide guitar with Oscar Alemán in Argentina and Europe some years earlier. In 1938, Laurindo and Gastão had a co-work as composers of the choro 'Inspiracão', which was recorded for Odeon on a 78 rpm with Gastão playing the lead on Hawaiian guitar accompanied by Laurindo on violão and Tute, violão 7 cordas. The flip-side of this record (Odeon, 11649) contains the first recorded solo by Laurindo Almeida under his own name of his composition 'Saudade que passa', a waltz that reflects the tradition of choro as the musical background of Laurindo Almeida. - Listen to 'Saudade que passa' by clicking here

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Jo

Regional do Canhoto

2008-11-07T12:47:00.006+01:00

The evolution of choro into a musical genre as we know it today owes a lot to the 1930s and 1940s house bands of the Brazilian national and regional radio networks, the various Conjuntos Regionais, that helped shaping and spreading the concept of the genre through countless live broadcasts and recordings of popular music of the time, including choro. Some of the Conjuntos Regionais raised to national fame, one of them being the Regional of flutist Benedito Lacerda that had Pixinguinha as a member and co-leader for some time during the 1940s, now famous in the story of choro for the recordings made for Victor 1946-1950 featuring Lacerda as soloist on flute and Pixinguinha providing exceptional accompaniment on saxophone besides being the composer and arranger of several immortal pieces recorded by this group.

However, when Lacerda left the group around 1950 after the successfull co-work with Pixinguinha, the leadership was taken over by the group's left-handed cavaquinho player, Waldiro Frederico Tramontano known as Canhoto (1908-1986). The group began their professional activities in 1951, accompanying great artists at Rádio Mayrink Veiga and recording for Victor. The members of Regional do Canhoto included, besides the leader on cavaquinho: violonistas Dino and Meira, flutist Altamiro Carrilho, accordionist Orlando Silveira, and pandeirista Gilson de Freitas (see picture above). The Regional do Canhoto was the first regional to record written scores, which were produced by Radamés Gnattali a.o., and the group had success through several recordings that covered a vast repertory of popular music of the time. One of the hits by the group was a piece titled "Gingando", composed as a co-work between Dino and Canhoto - you have the opportunity to listen to this by clicking here

In 1957, flutist Altamiro Carrilho left the regional to form his own Bandinha de Altamiro Carrilho, being replaced first by Arthur Ataíde, soon substituted by Carlos Poyares. They continued to play at Rádio Mayrink Veiga until the early '60s, when the radio station was closed and the group dissolved. Canhoto continued to be a highly requested cavaquinho player during the '70s.

During the 1950s the Regional do Canhoto was concidered the model par excellence of a Regional, and today the group may be remembered for the co-work with Jacob do Bandolim, who used Regional do Canhoto as studio accompaniment in recordings made 1951-1961. This co-operation led to several successfull and now famous recordings, one of the first being the choro "Doce de coco". Listen to Jacob do Bandolim playing "Doce de coco" accompanied by Regional do Canhoto, click here

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Jo

Pixinguinha & Oito Batutas

2008-10-31T11:17:00.004+01:00

Pixinguinha (1897-1973) remains an icon representing the heart and soul of Brasilian popular music culture, his work as a composer, bandleader, flutist/reedplayer and originator of the choro genre is of invaluable importance, historically and from a musical point of view. The work of Pixinguinha may be considered important at the same level as the work of initial American jazz composers like Duke Ellington - both helped shaping a musical form that had success nationally and internationally.

Pixinguinha demonstrated ability on both flute and cavaquinho as a kid and started composing at an early age. By the age of 14, he had composed his first choro, 'Lata de leite', and was already an accomplished flute player. In 1913, he made his first choro recordings, and by the time he was 15, he was playing professionally - at 18 he was one of the most popular musicians and choro composers in Rio de Janeiro. In 1919, Pixinguinha formed the legendary Oito Batutas (- meaning 'The Eight Remarkable Players' in English) (see picture). The group consisted of flute (- and later saxophone), guitars, cavaquinho, bandolim, bandola, pandeiro and assorted percussion. - Led by Pixinguinha, Oito Batutas was formed to entertain the audience of Rio's prestigious Cinema Palais in its foyer. Opening on April 7, 1919, the group was a success from its debut. The Carioca élite were taken by surprise by the repertory of maxixes, sertanejo songs, batuques, cateretês, and choros. In 1920, the group performed for the King of Belgium and in the next year they toured Brazil. Returning to Rio, they went to play at the luxurious Assírio Club, accompanying the dancing duo Duque & Gaby. In January 1922, the group departed for Paris, France, financed by millionaire Arnaldo Guinle. Introduced as Les Batutas at the Scherazade club, they performed there for six months with great success. Also in 1922, they left for Argentina, performing at the Empire Theater (Buenos Aires) and recorded for the Argentinean Victor. Upon their return to Brazil in 1923, they diminished their performances until they soon dissolved the group.

In 1995 the Revivendo label re-issued the 20 sides recorded by Oito Batuts for Victor, click picture above to see tracklist. You have the opportunity to listen to most of this material using the online search facility at Instituto Moreira Salles or by visiting the Pixinguinha site made available at IMS, click here

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Pixinguinha composed a choro titled 'Os Oito Batutas' reflecting the spirit of this initial ensemble, I insert a couple of uploaded video performances of this famous choro to end this contribution.- Here's a fragment of a roda de choro featuring Grupo Chorando na Sombra

Finally, here's an updated version featuring the Muzehof ensemble - enjoy it!

Nicolas Krassik & Cordestinos

2008-10-24T12:03:00.005+02:00

Since 2001 the young French violinist, Nicolas Krassik, has established his career in Brazil. His quick integration into the Brazilian music scene resulted in the beginning of a promising solo career, and he has already played, performed and recorded with several renowned artists of MPB. In 2004 Rob Digital released his first solo cd, “Na Lapa”, which was followed by his second effort "Caçuá" in 2006 (- also at Rob Digital), both records commented earlier in this blog. Now the third solo album by Nicolas Krassik has been released just recently by Rob Digital with the title "NICOLAS KRASSIK & CORDESTINOS" (2008).

If the first solo cd, “Na Lapa”, presented Krassik's fascination with choro and related Brazilian music styles, the second effort, "Caçuá", showed off his growing interest in the traditional music styles of the North East of Brazil, mainly known as forró.

Forró is a kind of Northeastern Brazilian dance, as well as a word used to denote the different genres of music which accompanies the dance. Different genres of music can be used to dance the forró. Traditionally, all of these music genres uses only three instruments (accordion, zabumba (- a kind of bass drum) and a metal triangle). The traditional music used to dance the forró was brought to the Southeast from the Northeast by accordionist Luiz Gonzaga, who transformed the baião (a word originated from baiano and assigned a warm-up for artists to search for inspiration before playing) into a more sophisticated rhythm (- info excerpted from Wikipedia article about forró, more info to be found clicking here).

The third solo cd from Nicolas Krassik continues his exploration of the North East music genres.

On the cd Nicolas Krassik is accompanied by Marcos Moletta (rabeca), Guto Wirtti (bass), Carlos Cesar (percussion) and Chris Mourão (zabumba), the musicians making up the Cordestinos, one of his present ensembles. On some tracks there is guest performance by Yamandú Costa, Hamilton de Holanda, Carlos Malta and João Hermeto. As already mentioned, the repertoire is represented or inspired by the traditional music styles of the North East of Brazil, and on this cd Nicolas Krassik shows off his experience with not only the violin, but also his discovery of the rabeca - a traditional folk fiddle of Arab origins used in popular folk music traditions all over Brazil, most commonly represented in the Pernambuco region, North East of the country.

The sound of the rabeca is spruce and a bit darker compared to the violin, it may sound slightly out of tune, but maybe my ears are cheating me. However, Krassik has united with a master of the instrument, Marcos Moletta, and he also shows examples of his own mastering of the rabeca. The Cordestinos featuring Nicolas Krassik has altogether made a fascinating soundscape, and the cd is definitely recommended, if you like to explore the rich string tradition of the North East region of Brazil. Tracklist available by clicking headline or cd-cover shown above, more info about Krassik at his official website (- in Portuguese, French and English) including audio and video samples, click here - Nicolas Krassik also has a profile on MySpace, including audio and video, click here

To illustrate and to give you an impression of Nicolas Krassik & Cordestinos in performance I insert a couple of uploaded video examples. - Here's a recording of a live-performance recently

Finally, here's Nicolas Krassik & Cordestinos in a live TV-performance from a program hosted by Jó Soares

Masterclass

2008-10-17T10:21:00.007+02:00

Many people outside Brazil had their first encounter with choro through listening to the shown cd featuring a selection of recordings by Jacob do Bandolim. The cd was issued by David Grisman's Acoustic Disc in 1991 and contains 21 tracks licensed from RCA's Brasilian division, click on picture to see tracklist.

Acoustic disc also released a volume 2 featuring 22 more recordings from Jacob do Bandolim's catalogue at RCA Victor, click picture to see tracklist.

The most popular and best-selling release by Jacob do Bandolim in Brazil was the 1967 RCA Victor LP "Vibrações" (- reissued on cd 1989 and 1993) featuring Jacob e Seu Conjunto Época de Ouro and containing 12 tracks of choros that have become classics and standard repertoire among choro ensembles worldwide, click picture above to see tracklist. - The title track "Vibrações" is a beutiful choro that keeps inspiring musicians, here's an example from a roda de choro at a private party recently

If you are looking for sheet music containing music recorded by Jacob do Bandolim intending to learn his solos note for note, there are a couple of possibilities to join the masterclass.

Some time ago the Instituto Jacob do Bandolim prepared a release of 24 scores of solos as played by Jacob do Bandolim, now issued at Irmãos Vitale including 2 cds featuring the music as recorded by Jacob with Conjunto Época de Ouro. One of the cds has the music without Jacob's solos, to be used as playback for the musician taking over the lead following the sheet - an example of the popular music-minus-one (- you're the soloist!) methode. Click picture to learn more about this issue.

ChoroMusic.com, publishers and creators of the popular play-along series "Classics of Brazilian Choro" have recently released Volumes 1 & 2 featuring the compositions of Jacob do Bandolim. As with previous releases from ChoroMusic.com, the musician is provided with CD including a full choro band that provides accompaniment — complete tracks with solo and split tracks without solo for you to play along, plus scores in standard notation for each composition in a convenient spiral bound book. Lead sheets are included for instruments in C, Bb and Eb. Each book includes information in English and Portugese. Click picture above to learn more.
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Jacob do Bandolim's music may keep you busy studying these masterclass works for some time,
here's an example of one who has graduated - enjoy Hamilton de Holanda playing Jacob's "Gostosinho"

Sound of Rio - Brasileirinho

2008-10-10T18:56:00.006+02:00

A few years ago, Mika Kaurismäki, a Finnish filmmaker, fasinated by the Brazilian music, published his documentary Brasileirinho.

This documentary is dedicated to the Choro music. I found a trailer of the documentary Sound of Rio - Brasileirinho, which seems to be a precursor of the documentary Braileirinho, I introduced to you in a previous blog.

In the film Mika follows three Choro musicians, the Trio Madeira Brasil, but a lot of other famous Choro musicians are to be seen, like Yamandu Costa and Hamilton De Holanda. It shows in an informal way the different styles. I found a track list which seems to be rather complete:

-Introduction - Papo de Anjo (Radamés Gnattali) Maurício Carrilho, Luciana Rabello
-Santa Morena (Jacob do Bandolim) Trio Madeira Brasil
-Saudações (Otávio Dias Moreno) Joel do Nascimento, Hamilton de Holanda, Trio Madeira Brasil et al. -Noite de Lua (Dilermando Reis) Yamandú Costa, Carlinhos Leite
-Formosa (Baden Powell - Vinícius de Moraes) Marcello Gonçalves, Yamandú Costa, Elza Soares
-Senhorinha (Guinga) Zezé Gonzaga, Guinga
-Brejeiro (Ernesto Nazareth) Yamandú Costa
-Falando de Amor (Tom Jobim) Zezé Gonzaga, Trio Madeira Brasil
-Tico-Tico no Fubá (Zequinha de Abreu) Ademilde Fonseca
-Um Calo de Estimação (Zé da Zilda - José Thadeu) Teresa Cristina & Grupo Semente
-Assanhado (Jacob do Bandolim) Trio Madeira Brasil, Marcos Suzano
-Degenerado (W. Rocha Ferro) Joathan Nascimento, Fred Dantas, Édson 7 Cordas
-Bole Bole (Jacob do Bandolim) Trio Madeira Brasil, Zé da Velha, Silvério Pontes
-Chorinho de Gafieira (Astor Silva) Paulo Moura, Zé da Velha, Silvério Pontes
-O Bom Filho à Casa Torna (Bonfiglio de Oliveira) Trio Madeira Brasil, Zé da Velha, Silvério -Pontes
-Sonoroso (K-Ximbinho) Hamilton de Holanda, Daniela Spielmann, Trio Madeira Brasil et al.
-Carinhoso (Pixinguinha - João de Barro) Yamandú Costa
-Barracão (Luiz Antônio - Oldemar Magalhães) Zezé Gonzaga, Teresa Cristina, Trio Madeira -- Brasil, Yamandú Costa, Zé da Velha, Silvério Pontes et al.

According the track list I think both documentaries are equal, but I hope that one of you can tell me if both documentaries are one and the same.

Last week I learned in a record shop in The Netherlands that a cheap version of the Braileirinho DVD has been published - a great opportunity for all of you who haven't obtain a copy.

I love to finish with a trailer of Sound of Rio - Brasileirinho by Mika Kaurismäki

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Tocador de violão - Claudionor Cruz

2008-10-03T11:12:00.004+02:00

During the 1930s and 1940s local and national radiostations in Brazil had a 'house band' to accompany popular singers during live broadcasts and to fill in empty space between progams.These house bands - known as Conjuntos Regionais - had a crucial role in evolving and shaping the popular music of the time, making it digestable for the commercial market - including record companies and the general public. Many choro musicians started their career as a member of a conjunto Regional, and as the musicians were supposed to accompany different singers and to play a varied repertoire, these conditions helped evolving the choro genre into a form containing elements from other popular music traditions. Contemporary choro may be seen as a evolution of the genre as shaped by the conjuntos Regionais during the period, when radio and music entertainment provided by this media set the scene in the general public.

One of the choro musicians having a long career in radio and later TV was Claudionor Cruz (1914-1995). He was a son of a bandleader and started early to play cavaquinho and snare drum. He became a professional at the cavaquinho and formed his group, Claudionor Cruz e Seu Regional, in 1932, which worked actively in the accompaniment of artists in several radio and TV stations of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, rivaling Benedito Lacerda. He had musicians like Abel Ferreira and Bola Sete in his group. His first composition to be recorded (in 1935 by Augusto Calheiros) was "Tocador de Violão", which was a co-work with composer/arranger Pedro Caetano, with whom he collaborated for many years. He also had other illustrious partners like Wilson Batista, and recorded/performed with Orlando Silva, Francisco Alves, Araci de Almeida, and many other top artists. Claudionor Cruz worked on more than 400 recordings as a composer, drummer, and/or cavaquinho/tenor violão player.

One of the compositions by Claudionor Cruz worked out in collaboration with Pedro Caetano was the samba-cancão "Nova ilusão", recorded 1941 and featuring vocalist Renato Braga accompanied by Calaudionor Cruz e seu Reional. The tune was popular at the time and was later redicovered by Paulinho da Viola and recorded in one of his albums from the 1970s. You can listen to the original recording by Claudionor Cruz featuring vocalist Renato Braga using your right mouse botton to open the musicplayer in a new window by clicking here

I found a contemporary rendition of "Nova ilusão" uploaded at YouTube, here the vocalist is Ernesto Aun

Like Garoto, Claudionor Cruz took up the violão tenor to accompany singers, you can hear Claudionor Cruz playing this instrument on several recordings available at Instituto Moreira Salles, here is an example - the choro "Este choro e o meu pranto" featuring vocalist Gilberto Alves, recorded 1945. Use the same procedure as mentioned above to listen to the record, click here

To end this, here's a contemporary rendition of "Este choro e o meu pranto" performed by Marco de Pinna Quarteto as an instrumental featuring Marco de Pinna on violão tenor

The Sound Of The Violão Tenor

2008-09-26T11:09:00.004+02:00

When I started listening to Brazilian recordings, I was fascinated by the sound of the violão tenor right from the start. One of the artists playing this instrument, who had my attention, was Garoto (Anibal Augusto Sardinha), of course. According to some sources it was Garoto, who introduced the violão tenor in Brazil in 1932 - he had imported a copy from the USA and was to use it intensely in performance and recordings during the remain of his career. I 'recognised' the sound of the violão tenor from recordings with Carmen Miranda featuring Garoto, it reminded me of the sound of Oscar Alemán - the Argentine swing guitar player, who had his career at the same time as Garoto. In fact, recognition of the sound of the two guitarists as similar was not a coincidence, the instrument played by both musicians had a built-in resonator device, that made the sound of the instrument recognizable instantly. The resonator system of the guitar was developed to help solving amplification of the sound before electricity was used for amplification. It was developed in the USA by the National Guitar company, specializing in metal shaped instruments with a built-in resonator, that functioned like a kind of membran speaker, amplifying the sound of the strings when played. The National Guitar models were often used by steel bar guitar players in Hawaiian style music, popular at the time, but also blues and jazz guitar players were attracted by the sound and volume effect of the instrument. In Brazil, local luthiers like the workshop of Del Vecchio developed a model of the resonator guitar different from the US issue, as the body of the guitar remained a box of wood with visible built-in resonators on the surface instead of a soundhole (- see picture above). However, players of the Del Vecchio model - both the 6 string violão and the 4 string violão tenor - often had problems staying tuned during performance due to the construction of the instrument. Anyway, when in tune, the sound of the instrument is recognizable instantly, and below I insert some video examples to give you an impression of this fascinating hybrid.

Garoto probably was the first to use the Del Vecchio violão tenor in performance and recordings. Later other violanista followed, i.e. Claudionor Cruz, Zé Menezes and Alvaro Brochado. In contemporary Brazil the violão tenor is not so common, but in previous blog postings I have pointed you to contemporary players of the instrument, like Pedro Amorim, Henrique Cazes, Marco De Pinna and - just recently - Renato Anesi. During the last week I just discovered that another well known violanista of the contemporary scene in Brazil, Alessandro Penezzi, in fact played the Del Vecchio violão tenor model early in his career. Below I insert some uploaded video performances, recorded 1990 with the choro ensemble Conjunto Som Brasileiro at a live concert.

The first tune played by Conjunto Som Brasileiro featuring Alessandro Penezzi on violão tenor is Pixinguinha's "Vou Vivendo"

The next tune from the same live performance is a rendition of Luiz Americano's "Numa Seresta"

The last video this time is a rendition of Jacob do Bandolim's "A Ginga do Mané" - enjoy this masterpiece, one of the few choros performed by Jacob on the violão tenor, here played convincingly by Alessandro Penezzi with Conjunto Som Brasileiro

Anacleto de Medeiros

2008-09-19T09:59:00.008+02:00

When choro evolved as a style of playing popular music in Brazil during the late decades of the 19th Century, one of the pioneers, who helped shaping this music style, was Anacleto de Medeiros (1866-1907). The son of a freed slave, Medeiros began to study music at the age of nine, and earned a degree from the Rio Conservatory when he was 20. He became well-known locally as a composer and performer on flute, clarinet and saxophone. His greatest musical impact, however, began in 1896, when he founded and conducted Rio de Janeiro's most famous military band, the Banda do Corpo de Bombeiros (Band of the Firemen's Corps).

Under Medeiros' baton, the Banda do Corpo de Bombeiros became known for its precision and its lavish Carnaval spectaculars. In 1902, it was the first Brazilian group asked to record cylinders and discs for the newly-established recording studio of Casa Edison.

Several compositions by Medeiros were recorded by the Banda do Corpo de Bombeiros for the Casa Edison label - he wrote and arranged over 100 marches and choro for the Banda do Corpo de Bombeiros. He had the lyrics to some of his compositions written by the poet Catulo da Paixão Cearense, who even wrote an ode praising him. One of these compositions written by Catulo was the xote "Iara," which, published in 1912 under the name "Rasga Coração," was later used by Heitor Villa-Lobos as the theme for his "Choros No. 10". Some researchers allege that Medeiros was the creator of the Brazilian xote (- a genre descended from the European Schottisch). To hear a recording of "Iara" as played by Medeiros' band for Casa Edison, use right mouse button and click here

Many of Medeiros' pieces, including "Iara", achieved great popularity at the time, and are still performed by choro groups today. In 1999 Kuarup Discos released a cd, 'Sempre Anacleto', containing 12 compositions by Medeiros (- and one homage piece to his wife, "Cecy", by Chiquinha Gonzaga). The music on the disc is played by the Art Metal Quinteto with the Banda de Câmara Anacleto de Medeiros, click picture below to learn more and to listen to sound clips.

To give you an impression of the way Anacleto de Medeiros' music is played today, I insert a couple of uploaded video performances. - Here's a rendition of Medeiros' march 'Jubileu' as performed by the Orquestra de MP do CBMERJ

Another popular piece by Anacleto de Medeiros often played by choro ensembles is his tango with the title " Os Bohemios"

To end this, here's a rendition of Anacleto de Medeiros' xote, "Santinha"