On Friday, April 12, The Mainstay is honored to welcome the Brazilian jazz music of Regional Choro of New York to its stage.
Choro is often described in American terms as “the New Orleans jazz of Brazil.” It originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro, and like New Orleans jazz, blues, or ragtime, It grew from many worldly influences. But to the people of South America, choro is Brazil and a celebration of life. Although it has an exacting structure, choro is known for the large leaps in its melody and its dizzying speeds, surprising changes of harmony and stunning, melodious improvisations. This is extremely virtuosic music that is played to sound very natural and spontaneous. It is considered the first characteristically Brazilian genre of urban popular music. As one choro player remarked, “the choro tradition in Brazil is very much like the blues in America. It is the combination of the beautiful singing lines of Portuguese melody combined with the life-giving heartbeat of Africa.”
Regional Choro of New York was founded by band leader and cavaquinho player (a small, ukelele-shaped steel-stringed instrument) Pedro Ramos in 1999. Ramos is from Sao Paolo, Brazil, and has remained deeply involved in the NYC Brazilian music scene through numerous recordings and appearances while still maintaining close links with the choro scene in Brazil.
Joining Remos for the Mainstay show will be two other original group members of the Regional Choro of New York ensemble.
Seven-string guitar player Carlos Almeida played with the old choro masters in the Sunday jam sessions in Rio de Janeiro as a teenager. Upon moving to the United States in 1987 he founded Saveiro, the most famous Brazilian band in the United States, with presentations at Lincoln Center and Central Park’s Summer Stage on the resume.
Percussionist Zé Maurício from Rio de Janeiro is one of the most highly sought after percussionists for Brazilian and African music.
Rounding out the group will be Hugo Sanbone on accordion and trombone.
Clarinetist/ saxophonist Anat Cohen was also an original member of the group. She is now a high-profile solo artist in international jazz circles.
Regional Choro of New York has been a guest of Winton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in the Apollo Theater and was acclaimed by Time Out magazine as one of the five best weekly gigs in New York. Paquito D’Rivera said the presentation of the group during his birthday party was “the best present I ever got.”
Show time for the concert is 8 PM. Tickets are $20 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $25 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall.
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