Choro

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Instruments commonly played in chôro

Chôro (IPA: ['ʃo.ɾu], literally "cry" in Portuguese, meaning "lament"), traditionally called chorinho ("little cry" or "little lament"), is a Brazilian popular music style. Its origins are in 19th century Rio de Janeiro.

1 Choro instruments
2 Compositional structure
3 History
4 Notable Brazilian choro musicians
5 Notable choro compositions
6 Suggested Reading
7 External links

[edit] Choro instruments

Originally choro was played by a trio of flute, guitar and cavaquinho (a small chordophone with four strings). Other instruments commonly played in choro are the mandolin, clarinet, and saxophone. These melody instruments are backed by a rhythm section composed of guitar, 7-string guitar (playing bass lines) and light percussion, such as a pandeiro. The cavaquinho appears sometimes as a melody instrument, other times as part of the rhythm.

Arrangements for piano of famous chorinho works (like "Carinhoso") often appear in e.g. TV shows.

[edit] Compositional structure

Structurally, a choro composition usually has three parts, played in a rondo form: AABBACCA, with each section typically in a different key. There are a variety of choros in both major and minor keys.

[edit] History

Much of the success of this style of music came from the early days of radio, when bands performed live on the air. By the 1960s, it had evolved into urban samba. However, in the late 1970s there was a successful effort to revitalize the genre, through TV-sponsored nation-wide festivals in 1977 and 1978, which attracted a new, younger generation of musicians. Thanks in great part to these efforts, chôro music remains strong in Brazil. More recently, chôro has attracted the attention of musicians in the United States, such as Mike Marshall, who have brought this kind of music to a new audience.

[edit] Notable Brazilian choro musicians

Altamiro Carrilho
Benedito Lacerda
Chiquinha Gonzaga
Chôro das 3
Dino 7 Cordas
Ernesto Nazareth
Garoto
Hamilton de Holanda
Henrique Cazes
Irineu de Almeida
Israel Bueno de Almeida
Izaias Bueno de Almeida
Jacob do Bandolim
Luiz Otavio Braga
Luizinho 7 Cordas
Mauricio Carrilho
Maurita Murphy Mead, Professor of Clarinet at the University of Iowa, is one of the most notable American Choro players.
Milton Móri
Oscar Castro Neves
Paulo Bellinati
Paulo Moura
Pixinguinha
Raphael Rabello
Waldir Azevedo
Zé Barbeiro

[edit] Notable choro compositions

"Brejeiro" (Ernesto Nazareth)
"Apanhei-te Cavaquinho" (Ernesto Nazareth)
"Odeon" (Ernesto Nazareth)
"Carinhoso" (Pixinguinha)
"Lamentos" (Pixinguinha)
"Segura Ele" (Pixinguinha)
"Um a zero" (Pixinguinha)
"Vou Vivendo" (Pixinguinha)
"Brasileirinho" (Waldir Azevedo)
"Pedacinhos do Céu" (Waldir Azevedo)
"Doce de Coco" (Jacob do Bandolim)
"Noites Cariocas" (Jacob do Bandolim)
"Tico-Tico no Fubá" (Zequinha de Abreu)
"Meu caro amigo" (Chico Buarque e Francis Hime)

[edit] Suggested Reading

Livingston-Isenhour, T. & Garcia, T.G.C. (2005). Choro: A Social History of a Brazilian Popular Music. Bloomington, Indiana, USA: Indiana University Press.

[edit] External links

Lusophone music
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