Saturday

February 2, 2019

7:30 pm

Brazilian Choro

 

Choro, the first uniquely Brazilian popular music and the root of samba and bossa nova, has its origins in the late 1800s. The genre, a captivating blend of European salon and chamber music with Afro-Brazilian rhythmic energy and a touch of jazz, is still being renewed and updated, and is spreading internationally at a very healthy pace. The Berkeley Choro Ensemble, formed in 2010, has dedicated itself to the performance of modern choro compositions and collaborations with renowned Brazilian performers and composers. Their CD “The View From Here” (2018) is a reflection of what is happening today in the world of choro. The Ensemble has been actively promoting the advancement of this great genre via performances, workshops, and the annual Berkeley Festival of Choro.

Ensemble members Jane Lenoir (flute), Harvey Waianpel (clarinet), Ricardo Peixoto (acoustic 7-string guitar), and Brian Rice (percussion) have been diving deeply into this music for years, performing, recording and touring with many great Brazilian artists both in Brazil and the USA. http://www.berkeleychoroensemble.com

“The Berkeley Choro Ensemble is one of the few groups playing outside Brazil that has the deepest understanding of what it means to play a ‘chorinho.’ Proof of this is all over their disc, with ten astounding pieces.” –World Music Report, April, 2018

The band wishes to thank Jesse Chuy Varela at KCSM FM for choosing Berkeley Choro Ensemble’s CD “The View From Here” as one of 2018’s best Brazilian music CDs.