Nosso Choro

This month it has been 5 years since the Choro-Music blogspot started. Co-editor of the blog and manager of the Keepswinging Website, Hans Koert, took the initiative to start the blog and persuaded me to contribute with entries on the music, we both share a passion for: the Brazilian choro. The actual background of the blog was the dvd-release of Mika Kaurismäkki's documentary 'Brasileirinho - Choro in Rio', which put us on the trail of exploring this fascinating music gradually by posting info on (some of) its story, performers and practice. As there wasn't a blog already dealing with choro - at least not in the English language, we thought it a good idea to select info in English to feed non-Portuguese speaking readers with our findings to support an interest in choro - as a small follow-up of Kaurismäkki's great documentary. We are fully aware that our knowledge on the subject is limited and may be considered insufficient compared to the works of serious scholars, our main intention has been and still is just to share our passion for the music with readers, who are looking for easily digestable info in English on different aspects of the Brazilian choro. This way the Choro-Music blogspot also could be labeled 'our choro' - in Portuguese: Nosso Choro - considering the fact that the entries always have a personal bias that we do not intend to hide, however, it should be to the benefit of the music or aspect of choro in focus, we hope.

To mark the 5 year anniversary of the choro-music blog I like to point you to a great cd by two European musicians. The cd, shown above, is properly titled 'Nosso Choro' and was released 2009 by Emmeciesse records. The fourteen tracks on the disc are performed by pianist Ivan Tibolla and Stefano Scutari, who plays both bandolim and violão - Tibolla also contributes on accordion, flute and percussion besides piano on some tracks that have overdub. Both performers are Italians, well-known and highly respected musicians on the contemporary Italian music scene. The 'Nosso Choro' cd is their first co-work dedicated to the Brazilian choro, both musicians are active in other fields of music as well.


According to a MySpace-profile, Ivan Tibolla was born in Belluno in 1975. He graduated as organ player and in organ music composition at the Academy of Music “B. Marcello” in Venice. After that he studied music composition as well as music improvisation. In the last few years he has come closer to the world of jazz and performs as a pianist participating in various settings and also has his own trio specializing in experimental jazz. Ivan Tibolla has his own website (- in Italian only) including dicography.

Stefano Scutari was born in Venice 1950 and had his first musical experiences with various rock bands in the sixties, later he began to lean towards classical guitar, studying with Tommaso de Nardis, a teacher in the “Benedetto Marcello” Conservatory in Venice. He then took part in various jazz guitar seminars held by a variety of different musicians (John Abercrombie, John Scofield, Larry Corryell a.o.). Lastly, he went on to develop a specific interest in Brazilian music, travelling often to Brazil where he was able to meet and play with musicians such as Sebastião Tapajos, Horondino Silva (Dino 7 cordas), Nana Vasconcelos, and others. He has headed a column on Brazilian music in an Italian magazine and has also recorded cds on his own. A profile including music samples is available at MySpace.

The mentioned 'Nosso Choro' cd contains the duo's renditions of classic choros such as "Tico tico no fúba", "Chochiando" and "Lamentos", Scutari has solo violão interpretations of "Sons de Carilhões" and "Odeon", but plays the bandolim in interplay with Tibolla. A selection of compositions by Jacob de Bandolim - "Doce de Coco", "Flamengo", "Santa Morena", "A Ginga do Manè" and "Noites Cariocas" - get a fair interpretation by the duo with elaborate improvisation by Tibolla showing off his jazzinfluence. Further, a solo reading of "Choro Pra Bisconce" - a choro composed by Tibolla; Scutari also has a couple of compositions, "Concolacao" and "Vals Sem Nome", performed on solo violão. And there is an example of the forró influence, "Lèo Estante", a composition by Tibolla, which has him playing accordion and percussion besides piano in overdub. The overall impression of the performed music is engaging and a great experience, a nice example of how the Brazilian choro is interpretated by two very skilled European musicians, highly recommended. - The cd may still be available from retailers, the tracks may also be purchased at iTunes, click here

Jo