The first generation of chor⌡es includes the flutists and composers Joaquim Antonio da Silva Calado J·nior - author of the beautiful "Flor Amorosa" (Amorous Flower) - and Viriato Figueira da Silva. The pianist Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847-1935), the greatest female composer of Brazilian popular music, wrote several choros ("Atraente", "Corta-Jaca") which are still included in the chor⌡es repertory. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Chiquinha's birth, pianist Antonio Adolfo recently released a "jazzy" CD of her compositions called Chiquinha com Jazz. I love it!
Ernesto Nazareth (1863-1934) left more than 220 compostions, including the classics "Apanhei-te Cavaquinho" and "Odeon" (named after the cinema where he played the piano). Villa-Lobos at the time was a cellist in the orchestra at the Odeon and was apparently influenced by Nazareth's improvisational style. Other famous composers of this time are Zequinha de Abreu, author of "Tico-Tico no Fubß" (remember Carmen Miranda singing this song in the film Copacabana?), and Joπo Pernambuco who wrote "Brasileirinho."
Who is considered the greatest choro musician of all time? Perhaps the flutist and saxophonist Pixinguinha (1897-1973), born Alfredo da Rocha Viana J·nior. He is also the composer of the unforgettable "Carinhoso" and other masterpieces - IngΩnuo, Lamentos, Um a Zero (1 x 0), etc. Pixinguinha and his group "Os Oito Batutas" were the first to incorporate percussion instruments to choro and the pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine) is still the rhythm base in traditional choro.
Chor⌡es of a later generation (1940's) are the mandolin virtuoso Jacob do Bandolim, author of "Noites Cariocas" and leader of the famous "╔poca de Ouro" (Golden Era), flutists Benedito Lacerda and Altamiro Carrilho, saxophonist Abel Ferreira and the great master of cavaquinho, Valdir Azevedo. Valdir is the author of the better known "Brasileirinho", the choro that Baby Consuelo and her band performed - with a pop twist! - at the Montreux Jazz Festival, bringing down the house. (I wish my CD had some notes about the musicians who played with her that night. I suspect Pepeu Gomes, her husband, was the guitarist.)
The late 60's and the 70's saw a revival of the choro - expanding from the jam sessions at the popular Sovaco de Cobra botequim in the suburb of Penha in Rio - with a new generation of musicians and composers: Paulinho da Viola, DΘo Rian (who led the group ╔poca de Ouro after Jacob do Bandolim died in 1969), Joel Nascimento, Paulo Moura - even though he started much earlier, this is when he became really famous - and Henrique Cazes belong to this time. In 1987 and 1988 some of these chor⌡es, along with old master Altamiro Carrilho, recreated the choro "rodas" or jam sessions from suburban Rio on the stage of its Municipal Theater. The resulting CD, appropriately called "Noites Cariocas" (Rio Nights) is a beautiful introduction to this fascinating musical genre.
In April of 1997, Brazil celebrated the 100th anniversary of Pixinguinha's birth. We're happy to report that the choro is booming again, with a new generation of musicians - like "N≤ em Pingo D'┴gua", to mention but one of many groups - and fans, and even a magazine dedicated to the genre, called "Roda de choro." Blue Jackel Entertainment will soon release a CD of Paulo Moura and a group of chor⌡es playing the music of Pixinguinha.
This page continues on Music Roots 3 - A Brief History of Carnaval and Its Music
