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| choro | |
|---|---|
| Name | Choro |
| Native name | Choro |
| Stylistic origins | Polka (dance), Waltz, Maxixe (dance), European classical music, Afro-Brazilian music |
| Cultural origins | Late 19th century, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Instruments | Guitar (Brazilian guitar types), Cavaquinho, Bandolim, Pandeiro, Flute, Clarinet, mandolin |
| Subgenres | Choro moderno, Choro romântico, Choro instrumental |
| Notable performers | Pixinguinha, Altamiro Carrilho, Jacob do Bandolim, Waldir Azevedo, Baden Powell (guitarist) |
choro Choro is a Brazilian instrumental music genre and ensemble tradition originating in the 19th century that blends European dance forms, African rhythmic practices, and urban popular song. It developed in Rio de Janeiro and became foundational to Brazilian musical modernism, influencing samba, bossa nova, and concert music. Performers typically emphasize virtuosic improvisation, syncopation, and intricate counterpoint, and choro continues to be cultivated by conservatories, street rodas, and international artists.
The term derives from Portuguese lexicon and 19th-century Rio de Janeiro parlance, reflecting links to vernacular song forms and dance parlance. Etymological discussion intersects with lexical studies involving Dictionary of the Portuguese Language, philological work by scholars associated with Academia Brasileira de Letras, and period lexicons used in Newspaper (19th-century Rio de Janeiro) archives. Early printed references appear in sheet music and salon programs tied to venues such as the Teatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro) and the seaside promenades frequented by urban literati.
Choro emerged in late-19th-century Rio as musicians synthesized European salon dances—polka, waltz (dance), mazurka—with Afro-Brazilian rhythmic practices and improvisational approaches cultivated in popular urban spaces. Its evolution involved intersections with cultural nodes including the Praça XV, the port neighborhood, coffee trade networks, and migration flows from interior provinces to Rio de Janeiro. Key early adopters performed in cafés, botecos, and serenades for elites associated with families represented in Imperial Rio de Janeiro social registries. Choro’s development paralleled formative moments in Brazilian cultural politics, such as post-abolition urbanization and the Republican era, and it was documented by feuilletonists and music critics writing for newspapers like Jornal do Commercio and O Paiz.
Choro ensembles combine melody, harmony, and percussion with an emphasis on virtuosity, syncopation, and contrapuntal interplay. Typical instrumentation includes the bandolim (Brazilian mandolin), cavaquinho, seven-string guitar, violão (classical guitar), flute, clarinet, and pandeiro. Repertoire commonly employs forms such as the polka-derived modinha and maxixe-derived schottische, with harmonic practices drawing from late-Romantic European classical music and popular European salon traditions. Rhythmic frameworks echo Afro-Brazilian percussive sensibilities present in practices associated with groups like Candomblé practitioners and street percussion ensembles, while improvisation relates to techniques developed by instrumentalists active in recording studios such as Victor Records (Brazil) and radio broadcasts from Radio Nacional (Brazil).
Prominent figures include early and mid-20th-century innovators: Pixinguinha (composer, flautist, arranger), who bridged choro and orchestral arrangements; Jacob do Bandolim (mandolinist) known for concertizing and ensemble leadership; Waldir Azevedo (bandolim) credited with popular compositions; Altamiro Carrilho (flute) celebrated in radio and television; and Baden Powell (guitarist), who integrated choro techniques with Afro-Brazilian and jazz vocabularies. Ensembles and recording artists such as Bando da Lua, Regional de Pixinguinha, and later revival groups connected to labels like Philips Records and Discos Continental helped canonize the repertoire. Composers and arrangers working in film and theater—collaborating with institutions like the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro—further disseminated choro idioms.
Choro’s core identity formed in Rio de Janeiro but regional variations appeared as musicians migrated across Brazilian states. In São Paulo (city), conservatory settings and immigrant communities from Italy and Germany fostered hybrid ensembles emphasizing guitar and accordion. In the northeast, interactions with frevo and forró repertoires around cities such as Recife and Salvador, Bahia produced rhythmic cross-pollination. International influence traces to touring musicians and émigré communities linking choro to European cities like Paris and North American scenes in New York City, where artists incorporated jazz harmonies and studio practices associated with labels and venues such as Blue Note Records and Carnegie Hall performances.
Since the late 20th century, choro experienced institutional revitalization via conservatories, municipal cultural programs, and festivals such as the Encontro Nacional de Choro and chamber series at venues like Teatro Sesi. Contemporary performers and educators—affiliated with universities like the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and organizations such as Instituto Moreira Salles—promote archival recovery, transcription, and new compositions. Choro interacts with modern genres through collaborations with bossa nova figures, jazz musicians, and global fusion artists, appearing on international circuits, streaming platforms, and pedagogical curricula in music schools tied to entities like Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. Its persistent vitality is evident in street rodas, academic study, and cross-genre recordings that sustain links to Brazil’s urban musical heritage.
Category:Brazilian music genres