Choros

More about choros on Music Roots 2 . Check out our Gafieira page too. This is a tiny sample of what you can find out there in terms of choros recordings! All Cds donated to our site automatically become part of the Sheila Thomson Collection of Brazilian Culture at Florida International University in Miami.

	If you thought that extraordinary Brazilian guitar duets ended with Raphael Rabello and Dino 7 Cordas, we have good news for you: pick up a copy of Remexendo, the new CD by a duo from São Paulo and you'll see (rather hear) what we mean. Available from Kuarup Discos in Rio. Euclides Marques, 6-string guitar and Luizinho 7 Cordas are proof that, if Brazilians disappoint us on the soccer field, they'll keep wowing us where music is concerned.
	The next best thing to being there...to experience a true "backyard" roda de choro, buy this CD online at Kuarup Discos. La crème de la crème of today's musicians celebrates the 15th anniversary of the seminal Noites Cariocas live recording. To read about an amazing choro school, visit our History of Choro page. For incredible, and we mean un-be-lievable!, pandeiro videos, visit Pandeiro.com.
	Pixinguinha + Benedito by Mário Sève and David Ganc is absolutely brilliant. Released at the end of April in celebration of "Dia Nacional do Choro" and Pixinguinha's birthday...the show included a marvelous tap dancer (who is also featured on the CD) as a "percussion instrument." Apparently, Pixinguinha himself was a tap dancer...do wonders ever cease in Brazilian music?
	Fagote Brasil, Encontro na Varanda. A bassoon...here's an instrument that you wouldn't in a million years associate with samba and choro, but Juliano Barbosa, somehow, knew it would work...and it does. What began with his dad's recording of Cartola's "Preciso me encontrar," continues here with Juliano and his friend Carlos Monje.
	Chorando Baixinho, of course! Originally released by Kuarup Discos, this gem of a live choro recording is now available on Biscoito Fino. Pianist Arthur Moreira Lima, the legendary Abel Ferreira on sax and clarinet, plus  Joel Nascimento, Zé da Velha and the Conjunto Época de Ouro. Need we say more?
	Nó em Pingo d'Água is the brilliant, absolutely hors concours,  choro group from Rio. Here they play master Paulinho da Viola's choros and one "samba chorado..." Just pretend you're in some roda de choro in somebody's backyard and it's a beautiful summer afternoon in Rio...grab yourself a beer and enjoy!
	Café Brasil. Well, well...I didn't think it could be done, but here's a wonderful surprise: a gorgeous choro CD banked by a German label (say what?)
	Choro 1906-1947. Frémeaux & Associés FA 166. Music critic Ellen Collison recommended these two French compilations and I'm forever in her debt for it. The box set contains two CDs - 36 tracks in total -, copious notes (in French) and historic photos. The man responsible for this feat is a Brazilian music aficionado from Paris. I don't know how he pulled this off, but merci beaucoup, M. Lesage!!
	Sempre Jacob. Kuarup Discos MKCD-077. This is one of a series of CDs dedicated to choro giants: there is a Sempre Chiquinha, Sempre Anacleto and these two. Killer versions of Receita de Samba and Assanhado by Nó em Pingo D'Água, plus that legendary Teatro Municipal recording of Noites Cariocas, etc. etc.
	Sempre Pixinguinha. Kuarup Discos MKCD-076. A roda de choro to die for...including the duo Paulo Sérgio Santos (clarinet) and Marco Pereira (guitar) in Lamentos and João Carlos Assis Brasil's solo piano version of Carinhoso.
	Brésil Choro-Samba-Frevo 1914-1945. Frémeaux & Associés FA 077. Again, two CDs, fabulous book with 26 photos. Luperce Miranda, Pixinguinha and Os Oito Batutas, Silvio Caldas, Araci de Almeida, Sinhô, even Noel Rosa singing Conversa de Botequim!
	Pixinguinha de Bolso: Henrique Cazes and Marcello Gonçalves. Kuarup Discos KCD 142. A duo of virtuoso instrumentalists, cavaquinista Cazes and seven-string guitarist Gonçalves, play a standard Pixinguinha repertory, plus some seldom recorded pieces. This "Pixinguinha in miniature" CD is another gem from Rio label Kuarup. Need we say more? Yes. Some words that come to mind: delicate, sensitive, intimate...
	Reco do Bandolim & Choro Livre. Kuarup Discos, KCD 106. Reco and his group are from Brasília. Early choro innovator, Reco is also president of the Clube do Choro there. This wonderful CD is more than proof that choro is doing very well, thank you,  outside Rio. Apparently, their rodas de choro are absolutely fab...one good reason for me to visit Brasília someday; I'd love to hear these guys live.
	Luciana Rabello. Acari Discos AR3. What can I say? This is genuine, unadulterated choro that brings an afternoon of chorões playing in the backyard right into your living-room. A sound that's reminiscent of Paulinho da Viola's classic disc Memórias Chorando (is anyone going to rerelease this gem??). Luciana is, of course, the master cavaquinho player from Rio, sister of guitarist Rafael Rabello. She co-owns choro label Acari Discos with guitarist Maurício Carrilho. Best of luck, guys!
	Saracoteando: Água de Moringa. Malandro Records. It says Brazilian Jazz on the cover, but don't be fooled. Even when they stray from tradition, this very talented group of musicians is playing pure choro. When I was a kid we drank "água de moringa" because it was pure and fresh...well, there you have it, in drink as in music!
	Choro do Quintal ao Municipal. A Kuarup Discos release, companion to Henrique Cazes' book about choro. Get both!
	Trio Madeira Brasil. Bandolim, six- and seven-string guitars (this one is Marcello Gonçalves from Rabo de Lagartixa below). I think this was the first time that I actually "heard" the wood in these instruments, incredible tonality!
	Quebra-Queixo. A terrific first CD from a quartet of young instrumentalists from Rio called Rabo de Lagartixa (sax, cavaquinho, seven-string guitar and acoustic bass). First-class, surprising arrangements for some classics of choro and Villa-Lobos. Plus, they recorded a bunch of new composers and got the great Elza Soares to sing Formosa. (We're soooo pleased that the saxophonist is a young woman called Daniela...) Thanks, guys and doll!
	Inéditos de Jacob do Bandolim, Eldorado 584.096. Déo Rian and group Noites Cariocas. The virtuoso bandolim player, successor of master Jacob do Bandolim, plays here 12 unpublished choros composed by Jacob in the 1950s and 1960s. Jacob do Bandolim Original Classic Recordings, Vol. 2, produced by David Grisman, Acoustic Disc ACD-13. Second volume of classic recordings by the Brazilian bandolim virtuoso (the Brazilian bandolim differs slightly from the mandolin as we know it). Jacob do Bandolim Original Classic Recordings, Vol. 1, produced by David Grisman, Acoustic Disc CD ACD-3
	Canhoto da Paraíba: Walking on Coals, Milestone MCD-9230-2. The virtuoso "lefty" from northeastern Brazil plays acoustic guitar by inverting the position of the instrument without changing the chords. Accompanied by Raphael Rabello and other talented musicians.

Brazilian CDs