Choro is the first Brazilian urban music. It was back in the late 19th century in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian musicians started to blend European melodies, Afro-Brazilian rhythms to create Choro. It is credited as being the first musical expression of Brazil’s melting pot. It for sure had a prominent place in the development of Brazil’s cultural identity. Choro remained a major popular music style until the 1920s. Samba took the lead later. After a slight decline in popularity, It has made a remarkable comeback over the past few decades.
“Roda de Choro” is a traditional Brazilian kind of private jam session. In these sessions, Choro musicians meet and play. They also remember key events in the history of this Brazilian urban music. It is Brazilian jazz, many people say. It could be true if Brazil’s chorinho hadn’t appeared before on the scene. Its relevance begins fading with the introduction of Bossa Nova in the ’60s. Now, this Brazilian music par excellence is getting a new lease. Youngsters in bars and concert halls play it and have a lot of fun.
The fascinating thing about Choro is its flexibility. How it changes and develops depending on the ensemble and musicians playing it. It fits any occasion. You can play it alone or in a big band, in a concert, in a jam session, you can listen to it or dance to it, it’s very social music.
The title of capital of Choro belongs to Rio de Janeiro but it is also played all over Brazil. The song in the clip is a classic: “Noites Cariocas”, a Choro masterpiece written by Jacob do Bandolim. Jacob (1918-1969) was the typical representation of the amazing Brazil melting pot: born from a Brazilian Catholic father and a Polish Jewish mother. He worked all his life as a civil servant in Rio de Janeiro. When he was 40 years old, he was already an active amateur musician. He played in jam sessions in his house in the Rio de Janeiro suburbs and then, agree to began playing publicly on radios; Instant success and recognition by the public and other musicians. Noites Cariocas was his signature song. The clip presented on this post was recorded at Clube do Choro in Brasilia. It features Grammy Nominated artist Dudu Maia, a mandolin virtuoso, Pedro Vasconcellos on cavaquinho, Dudu Sete Cordas on a Brazilian style 7-string guitar, and Breno Alves on tambourine. As usual with Choro musicians, we can feel the happiness they get from their performance. Wish you have fun too…..
Brazil Drops 