Chôro (, 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.
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, saxophone, trumpet and trombone. 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.
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.
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 and Maurita Murphy Mead, who have brought this kind of music to a new audience.
Livingston-Isenhour, T., and Garcia, T. G. C. (2005). Choro: A Social History of a Brazilian Popular Music. Bloomington, Indiana, United States: Indiana University Press.
Films
2005 - Brasileirinho: Grandes Encontros do Choro. Directed by Mika Kaurismäki.
Choro in Canada
Formed in 2006, the band PE DE CANA hails from the city of Vancouver-Canada. As the only professional trio in Canada with a focus exclusively on choro music, the band plays classic compositions as well as originals. The self-titled CD was released in 2007 and the first music video in 2008. The band members are Mario Silva (violao de sete cordas) on 7-string guitar, Trevor Murray on cavaquinho and Paul Bray pandeiro (percussion). Pe de Cana
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