Nilze Carvalho

Only few female performers and musicians devoting their talents and skills to choro are well known outside Brazil. One of them is Nilze Carvalho (- Albenise de Carvalho Ricardo, b.1969), who began performing at age 6, and started her international career at 15. Being a child prodigy on the cavaquinho and bandolim, she made her first recording in 1980 at 11, "Choro de menina" - the first volume of four LP's devoted to choro and choro related music, issued 1981 - 1984 by CID. On the first volume Carvalho is accompanied by members of the famous Epoca da Oure ensemble, well known from numerous recordings by Jacob do Bandolim in the 1960'ies. This first issue by Nilze Carvalho has been released on a cd, still available.

Nilze Carvalho started her international career in 1974 with tours of Europe, Far East and the USA. Later she formated her own ensemble, Sururu na Roda, featuring musicians from Rio da Janeiro. With this group she continued her touring worldwide and also recorded (i.e.Sururu na Roda, CD, 2004).

I found a video performance on YouTube featuring Nilze Carvalho and Hamilton Holland, recorded at a concert in USA.

Os Ingênuos

This time I like to recommend a cd recording by the choro-ensemble, Os Ingênuos, from Salvador, Bahia of Brazil. Os Ingênuous was formated in 1973 by the seven string guitarist Edson Santos and the pandeiro player Cacau, who have been the mainstays of the group - other members have changed from time to time. On this particular recording from 1992, recorded at Museu de Arte Sacre, Salvador, the remaining members of the group are Alton Reiner (bandolim), Lula Gazinéu (guitar), Jorginho Silva (cavaquinho), Fred Dantas (trombone), Jonatan Nascimento (trumpet) and Rowney Scott (soprano sax).

Os Ingênuos took their name from a well-known choro composition, "Ingênuo", by Pixinguinha - the 'Pope of the choro' as Edson Santos puts it! The repertoire performed by the group on this recording represents a string of pearls from the tradition of classic choro compositions by Nazareth, Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, K.Ximbinho, W. Azevedo etc., and the performance is impeccable and leaves this listener with a most pleasant experience.

If the choro music genre is new to you, this is a splendid example to lend your ears and engagement. However, even experienced connoisseurs of the choro tradition will enjoy this entertaining recording, I am convinced. Furthermore, the cd has extensive info (in English) on the story of the choro in Brazil by Ricardo Canzio. The cd is released by Nimbus Records (NI 5338) and is still available. Click on headline or here to learn more.

Jo

Tributo a Waldir Azevedo

I'd love to point you to a great recording titled Tributo a Waldir Azevedo - O Mestro Do Cavaquinho. It was released by Inter CD Records 7895509210257.

This record is a tribute to the Brazilian cavaquinho player Waldir de Azevedo, who died in 1980. Waldir became famous because he made a real solo instrument of the cavaquinho.

He started on flute and bandolim and later changed to the cavaquinho. He became a professional player around 1940 aged 17 years old and joined the band of Dilermando Reis. This regional played in a radio program of Radio Club of Brazil. Later he became the leader of that band.

He made a bunch of LPs during the 1950s and 1960s and a left in 1971 for the new build city Brasilia to found a choro tradition. As said before - Azevedo is remembered as the man who gave the cavaquinho his own solo repertoire. One of his most famous compositions is Delicado, also to be found on this tribute album. It became a hit in the 1950s ( In 1952 Percy Faith & Stan Freeman gave this tune a place into the Dutch Top 40 ).

Another well known tune is Brasileirinho, the opening track of this album.

The musicians on this album are: Valmar De Amorim and Marcio De Almeida on cavaquinho ( Cavaco solo ). De Almeida is also on the 6 string guitar ( viola de 6 cordas). Deo Rian and Bruno Rian are on the bandolim. Andre Belliney plays the 7 string guitar ( violoa de 7 cordas), the guitar who has an extra bass string. Darly A. Guimaraes plays the pandeiro, a Brazilian percussion instrument.

Deo Rian was a student of Jacob do Bandolim and reformed, after the death of Jacob his band Epoca de Ouro. They played the so-called samba de morro tunes with a lot of success. This band played an important part in the revival of choro during the 1970s and 1980s.

About the cavaquinho and Waldir Azevedo an excellent blog titled The Cavaquinho is written.

The Choro web log ( http://choro-music.blogspot.com ) is a great starting point to explore the Choro tradition. Joergen Larsen, the Danish expert researched this kind of Brazilian music and shares his passion on this web log.

This contribution is also posted at Keep swinging web log

Keep swinging

Hans Koert

keepswinging@live.nl

Pick of The Year 2006!

This time of the year it's become a custom habit among critics, music magazines and newspapers to point out urgent issues and releases in the different fields of music from the year almost ended. Of course, the music industry, record producers and retailers are on top of their toes to find out and take advantage of the judgements by the various critics and magazine reviews/polls - the market is always open to new investment and release by popular artists. The same old story over again. However, like in other fields of art, it's not always the most popular or best selling item that may be considered having a lasting quality.

In the general war between marketing and quality kept going on by the various trend setters of the market it seems that only survival of the fittest ruels the market and what is considered a sound investment. In this battlefield of commercial interests it's a heroic deed to fight for quality and the release of urgent historical recordings that would not have been issued by major companies considering economic success before anything else.

Thanks to small companies like the German Chanterelle (https://www.chanterelle.com) that devote their affairs to the release of high quality issues in the field of classical guitar music, sheet as well as recordings, 2006 brought us the release of a cd featuring the historical guitar recordings by Garoto (Chanterelle, CHR 006), made 1950-55 by Ronoel Simões in a private recording studio to give Garoto the opportunity to perform and record his own compositions as a soloist in a relaxed atmosphere. These recordings are a true historical document, showing off the artistry of Garoto and the development of the guitar choro into new field, further anticipating the bossa nova and the conception of modern harmony. If you are concerned with the Brazilian guitar tradition, these recording are an absolutly must-have item and the most urgent release of 2006!

I wrote a small review of the mentioned cd at the Guitar Choro pages, click here

I found a video performance by Paulo Bellinati playing two compositions by Garoto in a solo recital

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I wish the visitors of this blog a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Jo

Francisco Soares de Souza

Francisco Soares de Souza (1905-1986) was born in the Brazilian northeastern state of Ceará. An excellent self-taught guitarist and composer, Soares music follows the outstanding guitar tradition in Brazilian music. With almost fifty compositions written especially for acoustic guitar, Soares' choros are particularly enchanting.

In the latest radio program by Fábio Zanon on Rádio Cultura de São Paulo you may listen to a presentation of some of the compositions by Francisco Soares de Souza, click here to find a track list on Fábio Zanon's blog and to download the program 'O Violão Brasileiro - Os Criadores: Violão no nordeste' featuring music by Francisco Soares de Souza as well as Canhoto da Paraíba.

Classical guitarist Maria do Céu dedicated a cd to some of the works by Francisco Soares de Souza,'Choros do Ceará'(iss. 2000).

Maria do Céu worked with Brazilian renowned guitarist Turíbio Santos in Rio de Janeiro. Since beginning her professional career in 1984, she has played with a variety of groups, including the Orchestra of Acoustic Guitars of Rio de Janeiro and the Quinteto Clássico. She has performed throughout Brazil as well as abroad. Together with Rodrigo Sebastian (bass) and Di Lutgardes (percussion), she dedicated the mentioned cd to the choros of Francisco Soares de Souza.

For more info on the 'Choros do Ceará'-cd, pay a visit to the web of Maria do Céu (- in Portuguese only) here

Listen to sound clips from the cd, download a complete track in mp3 by clicking here

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A Merry Christmas/Feliz Natal to the visitors of this blog!

Jo