Brazilian Choro is Starting Fires in the Pacific NW

Guest Blog By Zak Borden

Dudu Maia with Douglas & Alexandre Lora: Santa Morena


Choro, also known as chorinho (“little cry” or “little lament”), is a style of Brazilian music from the turn of the century in Rio. The music is a virtuosic blend of intricately syncopated rhythm, melody, counterpoint, and chords characteristic of early American jazz. Choro features a variety of different instruments, among them: mandolin, clarinet, 7 string guitar (rhythm and bass lines), cavaquinho (a tiny 4 string guitar playing primarily rhythm) and pandeiro (a tambourine played with the attack and swinging bounce of samba).

Like many mandolinists, I was introduced to this music through composer Jacob Do Bandolim after David Grisman had reissued some of the classic recordings on his Acoustic Disc label. I later took a choro master class with Grisman’s former band mate Mike Marshall and soon developed an addiction more consuming than my obsession with bluegrass. I now play in a trio called The Brazillionaires out of Portland, OR.

The appeal of this music for me lies not only in its passion and romance, but the challenge of it all. It is a musical workout on every conceivable level. Its acrobatic rhythms, romantic melodies and harmonies are all threaded together with playful, often aggressive lines that seem to hit their targets at the last possible moment. Attempting such a style can be very humbling for a self-taught northerner. So I have sought the counsel of Brazilian masters like mandolinist Dudu Maia. He will be here with 7-Stringed guitar maestro Douglas Lora in April performing several concerts. They will be also be teaching a four-day intensive at Centrum in Port Townsend, WA. Also on faculty are Andy Connell and Brian Rice (members of Mike Marshall’s band) as well as the brilliant Jovino Santos Neto who now lives in Seattle after a long stint on tour with Brazilian musical genius Hermeto Pascoal. Yikes!…Let me catch my breath.

I live in Portland, OR, a far cry from the sweltering, busy streets of Rio. But something strange is happening here. Choro seems to be exploding. Between April 12 and 23rd, there will be a plethora of events all around the Northwest including a big benefit for Japan in Portland featuring Dudu and Douglas (see below). All of this hoopla, in part, will be to celebrate the birthday of Brazil’s most beloved choro composer Pixinguinha (April 23, 1897).

Check out mandolim master Dudu Maia playing the classic Tico Tico:

Sat, April 23rd (DAYTIME 2pm-7pm)
DIA DO CHORO!
With: Rio Con Brio, Infinite Bossa, Rio Nights, Na Mesa, The Brazillionaires, Guitarist Allen Mathews, Eastside Choro Project, David Ambrose and more!
The Lucky Lab
Multnomah Village, 2nd floor
7675 SW Capitol Highway
Portland, OR

Sat, April 23rd (Evening)
Rio Con Brio featuring Alexandra Buys singing fado
Old Church
Portland, Oregon
1422 SW 11th, Portland, OR, 97201. Show 7:30pm.
Tix $15
 

Sat, April 23rd
Jovino Santos Neto Quarteto
(with Jeff Busch on drums and percussion, Chuck Deardorf on bass and Ben Thomas on vibraphone)
Bake’s Place
4135 Providence Point Dr SE, Issaquah, WA 98029-7222, (425) 391-3335