Daniela Spielmann & Rabo de Lagartixa

Female saxaphone players are not very common, however, Daniela Spielmann is considered one of the best on the Brasilian music scene today. She is from Rio de Janeiro, began playing saxophone at 17 and was always interested in Brazilian music. Her style was influenced by the wind instruments most commonly used in choro, like the clarinet and flute. Besides the strong choro influence, her music also incorporates frevo, maracatu, samba, bossa nova and jazz. She studied harmony at Musiarte in Rio, attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston for an extension course, and graduated in Music Education at Uni-Rio. She has accompanied various Brasilian artists and contributed weekly music arrangements for a TV program besides being an integral member of the groups Rabo de Lagartixa, Mulheres em Pixinguinha and Sincronia Carioca. - You may find more info about Daniela Spielmann's career at her official website, click here

Rabo de Lagartixa (- which means 'gecko's tail' in English) was formed in 1993, the group consists of Daniela Spielmann (soprano sax), Jayme Vignoli or Alessandro Valente (cavaquinho), Marcello Gonçalves (7 string guitar), Alexandre Brasil (acoustic bass) and Beto Cazes (percussion). According to the notes at Daniela Spielmann's web, "The name of the group refers to the desire to create music that doesn’t sumbit itself to the standardization of the masses — you can cut off the tail of the gecko, but it will just grow back — and the rhythmic pulse of the group — the gecko’s tail continues to swing even after you cut it off". - The idea is to play choro in many different ways, taking advantage of the variations. Their first cd from 1998, 'Rabo de Lagartixa', is a splendid example of the group's repertoire in this choro novo style, click on picture below to learn about the contents of the cd.
You have an opportunity to watch a lengthy extract of a live concert performance by Rabo de Lagartixa from the group's US tour in 2002, follow the links in the video menu at Daniela Spielmann's website. - Below I insert another live recording from Brazil, a performance of one of the tunes on the mentioned cd, "Melodia Sentimental"

Jo

Bandolim Brasileiro - Dudu Maia

In contemporary tradition of choro performance the bandolim is still an essential solo voice, many people seem to identify choro with this fascinating instrument that was adapted and modified from the European mandolin by Brasil luthiers. Jacob Bittencourt (aka Jacó do Bandolim) helped shaping the instrument most commonly used, the eight string bandolim consisting of 4 pairs of strings that are tuned like a violin according to the following order: (from high to low) first pair E, second pair A, third pair D and fourth pair G. However, in recent years musicians like Hamilton de Holanda have experimented with a 10-string bandolim shaped with 5 pairs of strings. The fith pairs of strings are usually tuned in the key of (low) C, but a B-flat tuning of the pairs also appears. The ten-stringed bandolim gives the performer a whole new variety of harmonic and melodic possibilities.

Among contemporary Brasilian musicians using the ten-stringed bandolim in performance and recording Dudu Maia (picture) stands out as an excellent player, who - like Hamilton de Holanda - has created his own 'sound' and concept of the instrument. Dudu Maia served for five years as the bandolim professor of Brazil’s most respected choro school, the Escola Brasileira de Choro Raphael Rabello in the nation’s capital, Brasília. He studied with masters such as Hamilton de Holanda, Gamela and Alencar Soares as well as at the Universidade de Brasilia. He has performed with several renowned Brazilian artists and is today considered to be one of Brazil’s top bandolim players. In 2006 Dudu Maia completed a self-titled album commissioned by the Brazilian government. The cd (shown below) was released in October 2006 in New York City with an outstanding reaction from the public according to the official website of Dudu Maia (- bothe in Portuguese and English). Learn more about the contents of the cd by clicking here

The music on the shown cd is a fascinating listening experience, showcasting Dudu Maia's influence from the music traditions of Noth-East Brazil as well as choro. You have the opportunity to listen to extracts from the cd at Dudu Maia's profile on MySpace, click here

Dudu Maia has also uploaded several video performances at YouTube, below I insert one of them to give you an impression of the music played at the mentioned cd

In 2007 Dudu Maia released his second cd, a collection of compositions by the legendary pioneer bandolim player, Luperce Miranda. The cd is an excellent example of Dudu Maia's conception of the choro tradition and the music is a thrill to be listening to, perfomed by a quartet of highly skilled musicians that know their roots and relive the music of Luperce Miranda in a contemporary rendition - highly recommended!

You have the opportunity to listen to extracts of the cd following this link

To give you an impression of the music played on the shown cd, I insert a couple of uploaded video performances from YouTube. The first is a rendition of Luperce Miranda's "Picadinho a Baiana"

To end this, here is a rendition of Luperce Miranda's "Itapagipe"

Jo

Viola - Inside Out

The viola is the name for a 10-string steel-string acoustic guitar, used in Brazilian folk music. Its origins are obscure, but some folklorists believe it to be an archaic form of the Arab lute that elsewhere evolved into the modern guitar. The Portuguese brought the viola with them to Brazil.

- Brazilian violas have 5 pairs of steel strings in a body similar to that of a smaller Spanish guitar. A large number of tunings are used; open tunings are common.

Violas are present in nearly all Brazilian music forms, anywhere in the country (although it is declining in some places). It is most often associated with Caipira Music (Brazilian country music), with some forms of North-Eastern music and with folkloric music. It was once used to play urban music, like choro, samba and Maxixe, but has since been replaced by the more common violão/acoustic guitar. (info from Wikipedia)

Cacai Nunes (b.1978) from Pernambuco, but raised in Brasilia, is one exponent of a new generation, who has devoted a study to the 10-string viola Caipira. In august 2006 Cacai Nunes released his debut album titled “O AVESSO” (Portugese for "inside out"). This work features some of his solo performances and also modern arrangments for viola caipira, bass guitar and drums. Original compositions an pieces of composers such as Pixinguinha, Chiquinha Gonzaga and Dilermando Reis, get a fresh and different approach on Cacai's interpretation.

Learn more about Cacai Nunes at his official website (- in Portuguese only) to be reached clicking here

Cacai Nunes also has a profile (- in English) at MySpace with the possibility of listening to the mentioned cd and viewing several of uploaded videos, click here

Below I insert a couple of the video performances uploaded at YouTube to give you an impression of Cacai Nunes' music. - Here is a rendition of Chiquinha Gonzaga's 'GAÚCHO (Corta-Jaca)'

To end this, here is a performance of 'Um Brasil de Viola'

Jo

The Choro Genre

This time a quoted extract about the choro genre from the book, 'Choro, A Social History of a Brazilian Popular Music' (2005) by T.E. Livingston-Isenhour & T.G.C. Garcia (published by Indiana University Press):

" The repertoire of early choro musicians consisted of dance music imported from Europe, especially the waltz and the polka, serenades, and other local popular genres. Over time a new genre arose, also known as choro, which combined aspects of choro performance practice with the formal and harmonic structure of the polka. Thus, we can speak of norms and tendencies in harmony, melody, rhythm, form, and structure that define the choro genre, many of which are direct outgrowths of choro performance practice. In terms of harmony, the early choro was thoroughly grounded in contemporary European practice. Indeed, the choro has never been harmonically progressive. Its attraction was in its expressive and rhythmic character and its showcasting of instrumental virtuosity. As in choro style, the distinguishing features of the choro genre are found in the melodies and the rhythm.(-) Choros are easily identified by their melodies, many of which are idiomatic to the instrument for which they were originally composed. Melodies and wide leaps, arpeggios based on the harmonic progression, and chromatic sequences are common.(...) Most choros are modeled on the form of European dances from which the genre developed. Sections of regular and approximately equal length are typical and may be arranged in simple structures such as AABB,ABA, and, most commonly example, ABACA (rondo form). Within these structures, harmonic motion is predictable.(...) Choro is, of course, more than its musical components." (item quoted, p.11-12)

Now, let the ladies show you what it's all about. - Here is a recent live TV performance by Choro das tres playing Nazareth's "Breijeiro"

To end this, here is a live performance of "Saxofone Porque Choras" by an accomplished female saxophonist, Emyllia Santos and ensemble

Jo

Violão Sete Cordas

The Brazilian 7-string guitar (violão de 7 cordas) is an acoustic guitar used primarily in choro and samba. It was introduced to Brazil in the early 20th century as a steel string guitar. The style of "baixaria" counterpoint and accompaniment technique was developed throughout the 20th century, especially by Dino 7 Cordas and Raphael Rabello. In the early 1980s, guitarist Luiz Otavio Braga had a nylon string version made, and this has become the norm for most contemporary choro musicians such as Yamandú Costa. - The Brazilian 7-string guitar is typically tuned like a classical guitar, but with an additional C below the low E as follows: C-E-A-D-G-b-e; although some musicians tune the C down to a B resulting in B-E-A-D-G-b-e. (info excerpted from Wikipedia)

It is generally accepted that the first to introduce and use the 7-string guitar in choro was Tute (Artur de Souza Nascimento, 1886-1957). Tute had an extra string (in low C) added to the normal 6 string guitar thus giving birth to the violão sete cordas. He was also stylistically important, defining the role of the accompanist with the baixarias (basslines) classic in the choro style, now adapted to the violão thanks to the seventh string. - When still very young, Tute became a member of the Banda do Corpo de Bombeiros under the conductor Anacleto de Medeiros, playing cymbals and bass drum. As a violonista, he was a member of the orchestra of the sophisticated Cine-Teatro Rio Branco, conducted by Paulino Sacramento. In one of the absences of the renowned flutist Antônio Maria Passos, he introduced the then-15-year-old Pixinguinha to the theater owners and to the conductor. Pixinguinha grabbed the gig due to his extraordinary sight-reading and improvisational skills. - As a member of Grupo Chiquinha Gonzaga with Antônio Maria Passos, Nelson dos Santos Alves (cavaquinho), and sometimes the legendary Chiquinha at the piano, Tute and the group recorded several 78 rpms for Columbia and Odeon in the early decades of the 20th century. An accomplished accompanist, Tute was often requested in early recordings. As a banjoist, he was a member of Orquestra Copacabana. As a violonista, Tute was a member of the renowned Pixinguinha-groups Grupo da Guarda Velha, Os Cinco Companheiros, Gente Boa, and Orquestra da Victor. Tute worked actively in two important radio venues of Rio, Rádio Mayrink Veiga and Rádio Nacional, from 1929 to 1945, being the permanent accompanist of the mandolinist Luperce Miranda. With Miranda, Tute accompanied Francisco Alves, Mário Reis and Carmen Miranda. (info excerpted from article by Alvaro Neder in AMG)

The best known player of the violão sete cordas probably is Horondino José da Silva (aka Dino Sete Cordas, 1918-2006). Dino Sete Cordas was the developer of the seven-string style proposed by Tute. In more than 70 years of active and uninterrupted professional activity, he accompanied uncountable important artists from several different generations and styles, arranging and orchestrating for recordings as well. His co-work with Jacob do Bandolim as a member of Epoca de Ouro and later with Raphael Rabello in a duo-setting stands out as magnificent examples of his development of the way to play the violão sete cordas, and his importance in Brazilian music tradition is still highly regarded. Read more about Dino's importance as a 7-string guitar player clicking here

Here is a video paying homage to Dino Sete Cordas

Among contemporary Brazilian artists that have further developed the playing of the violão sete cordas is Yamandú Costa. To end this, here is a video featuring Yamandú Costa and Armandinho playing "Noites cariocas"

Jo