Choro Day

Pixinguinha (April 23, 1897 - February 17, 1973)

Today it's Choro Day. Since the year 2000 the 23th of April has been the official Choro Day in Brazil - the specific date chosen to commemorate and honor the birthday of Pixinguinha (Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho). - Here we will celebrate the day and Pixinguinha while listening to some of his music. - Let's start with a great interpretation of the choro Teu Aniversário as played by Hercules Gomes in a solo piano rendition

One of Pixinguinha's famous choros recorded in collaboration with flutist Benedito Lacerda in the 1940s is Ingênuo - Pixinguinha contributes the 'second voice' on tenor sax while Lacerda has the lead voice

Lamentos is another famous choro by Pixinguinha, here interpretated by Jacob do Bandolim - Pixinguinha's great friend and follower

A celebration of Pixinguinha and Choro would be incomplete without Um a zero - here interpretated by the master and Lacerda in the same setting as above

Pixinguinha's influence on Choro and other musicians is kept well alive in Brazil, here's an example to end this - the choro ensemble named Rabo de Gato featuring Proveta on clarinet celebrates Pixinguinha in a live performance of Toquinho & Vinicius de Moraes' Chorando para Pixinguinha

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Jo

choromusic.blogspot@gmail.com