Valentine's Day, the 14th of February, inspired my friend and co-editor of the choro-music blog, Hans, to post a great contribution about Joaquim Calado's 'Flor Amorosa' at the keepswinging-blogspot
Enjoy it here in the English version as this week's contribution.
This tune, Flor Amorosa, is one of the earliest examples of choro. It was composed by Joaquim Antonio da Silva Calado( or Callado ). He was a flute player and composer and lived in the 19th Century (1848 - 1880). He founded a group, called Choro Carioca, around 1870 that had a flute, a cavaquinho and two guitars, what we now recognize as typically choro band instruments. He used the name Choro for the very first time. The music was played on the plantations and the name Choro became a label for those typically instruments, but also for the music and for the social gatherings. If Choro music is new for you, you should have a close look to all three fragments posted. Choro music had, except a kind of musical interaction, also a very important social roll in the 19th century society of poors and slaves. They came together and took their instruments; sitting in a circle, a Ronda, so they could have eye contact easily, to interact to the others sitting in front of them. While being gathered they played the well known folk tunes, choro's, and each instrument, each musician, each choroes, starters as well as skilled ones, were invited to play along.
Clado was, except a skilled flute player, also a very good composer, who must have made hundreds of compositions for people who had to celebrate something. As he was invited to play on festivities he loved to make special compositions. Alexandre Pinto says in his book: .... When a lady or gentleman asked him to compose a choro dedicated to the guest of honor, he did not sa no, grabbed whatever piece of paper if he had no manuscript, took a pencil and zaz !! He would start to write and in a moment he would give it to a chorao who played it, becoming a deam for all of the guests because of its clarity and beautiful inspiration ( from O Choro: eminiscencias dos choroes antigos)
His most famous composition is Flor Amorosa, which has already all elements typically for choro music and is stil played nowadays. Well, for me, this tune, can replace My Funny Valentine and become the symbol for this day of friendship. Choro music is a very social event, being together, in a ronda, making music together, in peace.
