The Sound of Rio: Brasileirinho (2005) - full transcript

Around 1870, there began
to appear in Rio de Janeiro

musical groups formed for the
most part by civil servants.

They played for simple pleasure.

Blending European music,
such as the polka and the waltz,

with Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

Thus creating the choro.

The first genuinely
Brazilian urban music.

Before samba
and bossa nova.

From downtown bars
to big theatres,

today choro is more alive
than ever.

At times like this, I’d rather
be a dentist, engineer, lawyer...



It’s tough.

Afterwards it’s great...
But that’s what it’s all about...

I can be a finalist
in an international contest,

play classical guitar,

but not to know how to play
Brazilian music, my music...

not to be able
to do that...

No! I want to learn this music!

So I went around the bars, right?

Which are, I think...

the great school
of choro, right?

And thus of Brazilian music...

And...

But it was like going back
as a student again,

not as a guitarist.



You have to be humble and
go there, ABCs...

And the guy plays, you can’t keep
up with him, you mess up.

I remember,
I was 23,

after the international contest,
arriving there...

there was a mandolin player who played
Doce de Coco

and I tried to accompany him, I messed up,
the guy looked at me: “Who is this guy?”

For one to acquire

the culture of choro,

in the first place, it’s not just a
question of learning the music.

You must learn to discuss, feel.
Feel an atmosphere.

The music has an atmosphere...
somewhat spiritual,

when you play with the
musicians, right?

You do something,
the other responds on the guitar.

I’ve even seen many people burst into
tears with emotion, in the midst of...

that thing... the culture of choro.

Normally you learn
the music first.

Then you see the possibilities
of the music flow,

literally, with a certain passion.

When we had the idea of forming
Trio Madeira Brasil...

it was like...

Zé Paulo Becker and I

both idolized Ronaldo,

because at the time Zé Paulo had

a truly scholarly background,
right?

So we saw the opposite
in Ronaldo,

and at the same time he was our ideal,

because his foundation, was that choro
circle thing, right from the beginning,

of improvisation and such, right?

Mother, do you still remember
some songs?

I have a little house
There in Marambaia

It’s on the beach
What a beautiful sight

It’s covered in grapevine
In springtime

It flowers
Like the earrings of a princess

When summer arrives
I sit on the porch

Pick up my guitar
Begin to play

And my dark-haired lover
Is always singing “Carinhoso”

Sits by my side
Also singing

When evening falls
A flock of swallows

Flying around
Are bringing in the summer

And there in the bush
Songbirds are warbling

Lovely melodies
To rejoice my heart

But when evening
Falls in the favela...

I forgot now...

Wonderful, mother!

Wonderful!
It was just to get an...

Smoke rises...

While the wind whistles
through the glass window...

The symphony...

No, lower seventh...

The symphony...

Lower the C...

It’s in C# minor, ok?
Then it’s seventh in the bass.

C# minor...

Which gives the sad note...

It gives the connotation
of sadness...

Otherwise it would sound happy...

True.

Yes... Otherwise it sounds cheerful...

Thanks.

Listen, the show is confirmed
At the Niteroi municipal theatre...

- Great.
- Fantastic!

On choro day—
Pixinguinha’s birthday —

they’re going to stage
a choro event.

We’ll do a show with guests and all...
So we have to decide.

And the idea is that
we greet the guests?

I was thinking of asking
Zezé Gonzaga to sing.

Wonderful... And the guys from Niteroi,
are we going to invite any?

Let’s call Carlinhos?

- Good idea... Silvério...
- Zé da Velha...

Yamandu!

We could have Carlinhos
play with Yamandu...

- That waltz...
- Yes, it would be great!

Guinga...

-Yes, Guinga! Can you, Guinga?
- On the 23rd, can you?

I can’t because I’m eating chicken...

And now, what about
the Barca do Choro?

After the chicken I’m ready for
anything. After the chicken...

Have a good concert.

In the seventies,
the Camerata Carioca appeared,

a band formed by a new
generation of musicians who,

along with Joel Nascimento
and Radames Gnatali,

significantly revamped the basic
concepts of choro.

Unlike his new
companions,

Joel Nascimento held another job
besides that of musician.

I heard you’re going to make a new
record? What’s happening?

All that’s left to do...

is to sign the
contract with...

No kidding?

...with the record company now.
To sign the...

Don’t move! Stay still!

Hold your breath.
Don’t move!

You can breathe now!

Take a look over there!

- See if you can see that score...
- Hey you crazy guy!

It has Pixinguinha written on it... There!

Can’t you see? Pixinguinha!

There’s over 200 songs
in it.

One can’t see the brain here, the things
inside, but so what.

One can’t see the neurons,

but I can truly see the notes
of my choro in your head.

- Really?
- Yes, Ecos...

Fantastic!
I really like that choro!

Let’s get the hell out of here, pal,
it’s really hot.

Really hot. This dark room...

Joel, it’s madness to work
in here, right?

Yes... but I worked here
for 25 years.

I’m a musician, a mandolin player,

I awoke to the world of music when
I was nine, through a fantasia

about Chopin’s life...

many people, by the way, awoke
to music through this fantasia.

I was born in Penha, in the midst of
music, in the midst of choro,

the first instrument to come into
my hands was a cavaquinho.

And my head was full
of Polonaises.

Inevitably, I studied piano.

Because of a hearing deficiency,
I had to give it up at 22.

Along with other music studies.

I have a deafness problem,

I lost hearing in my right ear,

to this day I only have the use
of one ear, and I have...

a problem with frequency.

This part of the piano
from here to here...

I hear like this...

so I play one octave higher,

to keep it in my head
and check my fingers.

So I realised that I
would not manage to become

the concert pianist I wanted to be,

and I gave up piano.

I stayed away from music for ten years.

The mandolin story is something else.

I see it as some sort of imposition

but it became part
of my body,

a part of me...

today I have come to love it.

Thank God for this.

Suvaco de Cobra!

What a joy to return here,

I always feel deeply moved when
I pass through those two doors.

Suvaco de Cobra...

The shrine of choro.

One of the last great
shrines of choro

during the seventies.

Through those doors, through those
walls, you can hear the music,

it’s all there and
tells the story.

A beautiful one.
You look at the floor...

it’s really moving.

This is Abel Ferreira, who composed
the chorinho of Suvaco de Cobra,

which I recorded for my first record.

Here is Waldir with the late
Índio do Cavaquinho, Zé da Velha...

and here I am, with all my hair —
lots of it,

playing the mandolin...

Look at Zé da Velha taking
a swig of beer!

After drinking around ten...

he used to play a lot!

I remember those
two doors...

The streets used to fill up...
This was the place to be...

just like you see here!

Suvaco de Cobra

Really cool!

Choro is the Brazilian Jazz.
Jazz - someone plays,

does a solo, and then
goes on improvising.

American style.

And our style,
such as in choro,

we also play the first,
second, third parts,

and when we repeat,
we also throw in our improvisation.

I mean, it’s something
you create as you play.

One is always creating on top of
something that’s already been done.

Zé da Velha does a lot
of counterpoint, get it?

He’s the king of counterpoint.

After Pixinguinha... Only Zé da Velha
can do this sort of counterpoint.

And... Zé taught me a lot
how to play.

One of us writes a melody
and the other comes up with another.

The resulting dialogue
is very interesting.

And the brass
instruments

are very reminiscent
of the big bands.

Mauricio Carrilho hit the nail on the head
when he defined both of us

as the smallest big band in the world.

This music is ageless.

In a choro circle there’s a guy
who's 70, another who’s 15, another who's 40...

This music is like a communion of
sorts. Choro is a communion.

Because everyone partakes
of this good thing,

which is already over a century old.

That’s fantastic.

No one deserves that.

Hi Elisa. Hey, Yamandu!

- How’s everything, Marcello?
- Doing the nails?

- Yeah
- Is it your turn?

Yes! Are you finished?

- Almost, I’ll do you right away.
- Come on over!

- I brought something to drink...
- How are things?

- I brought something nice for us...
- Great...

I know that Yamandu doesn’t touch
the stuff. Only his chimarrão (maté).

- So how’s the nail...
- It’s OK.

- Let me see...
- See?

- See? It’s falling off.

OK, let’s fix it.

When’s your show?

Today I have a rehearsal with Elza
for the show in Niteroi.

-And Elza really swings, right? You gotta...
- Play really intense.

- Play really intense.
-So let me fix this...

So tomorrow you can rehearse

and be able to do the show on Tuesday...

Chimarrão?

Beautiful woman,
Don't be that way. Look at her

Tenderness
Isn’t a bad thing

A woman who denies
Doesn’t know

There's something missing in her heart

Ah! Beautiful woman
Don’t be that way

Tenderness
Isn’t a bad thing

A woman who denies

Doesn’t know

There's something missing in her heart

We are born, we grow up
We want to love

A woman who denies
Denies what is undeniable

We take, we give
We want to die

No-one gets anything worthwhile
without suffering

Beautiful woman

Beautiful woman
Don’t be that way

Tenderness
Isn’t a bad thing

A woman who denies
Doesn’t know

There's something missing in her heart

We are born, we grow up
We want to love

A woman who denies
Denies what is undeniable

We take, we give
We want to die

No-one gets anything
without suffering

We are born, we grow up
We want to love

A woman who denies
Denies what is undeniable

We take, we give
We want to die

No-one gets anything worthwhile
without suffering

Ah! No-one gets anything worthwhile
without suffering

No-one gets anything worthwhile
without suffering

Beautiful woman...

My bad...

10,11,12,

13,14,15,16...

- And the neck...
- Neck too?

19 and...

Fireworks Joe
God of children

In the distant town
Of three hearts

On festive days
He did cartwheels

Fired rockets
Released balloons

Fireworks Joe
Liked Rosa

A more handsome Indian girl
The world has never seen

But the worst thing is
That Zé Boticario

Liked Rosa
Quite a lot too.

I can’t say if

I’m considered a choro composer,
I don’t think so.

I’m a popular composer,
a song composer,

who also writes
choros,

I have several choros for guitar,
I have over 20 choros for guitar,

and I’m proud of it.

The simplest things
are the best...

It’s called “Senhorinha”.

I wrote it for my two daughters
when they were little.

I was visiting a farm

in Rio de Janeiro state,
one Sunday,

with my youngest daughter,
who was very sick,

she wasn’t eating,
almost died several times,

and that Sunday the girl was
bursting with health,

eating well, playing, laughing,
her cheeks flushed.

She was bursting with health
that Sunday at the farm.

When I got back home,
I composed the song,

and dedicated it to my two daughters.

And I told Paulo Cesar Pinheiro

that I had spent Sunday in the
country, that’s why it begins:

Senhorinha

Girl of an old farmhouse
Apple of my eye

Likes to walk around

with a hat, and umbrella

As if she had escaped from
A nursery rhyme...

And so on...

Little princess

Girl out of a love story

Of a fairy tale

Likes to play

Fairy godmother

As who wishes to be

My queen

If the little girl

With her earring and necklace
Of aquamarine

Likes to spy on me

From the neighbouring house

As if she wanted me

In her alcove

Love

Will I be going to the altar

Will I be in her arms

Will this maiden be

The muse of this poet

Apple of my eye

Oh my love...

Every Saturday, the boys
of the Cordeiro musical band

travel four hours to take part

in a choro workshop
in Rio de Janeiro.

Prominent musicians, such as
Mauricio Carrilho and Luciana Rabello,

convey the tradition
of the masters

in a spontaneous and
unconventional fashion,

attracting over 400 youths each week
from the city and countryside.

Aren’t you a
bit late, pal?

You brought a whole film set...?

My great master was Meira.

I’ll never forget it, I was barely
a teenager, 14 years old.

I arrived at Meira’s house at seven in
the morning for my guitar lesson.

He gave a traditional
guitar lesson until eight.

After eight he used to say:
“Now we’re going to play!”

And at eleven... eleven
on the dot he used to say:

“Now let’s go out
and get a beer...!”

And we started drinking,
talking, telling stories...

He talked about his life
playing choro.

Hence...

such intimacy, such affinity.

When he poured me
a glass of beer,

we partook of an idea...

in an act.

This is something which
marked me forever.

It’s speeding up...

Lower...

D minor with the seventh...
And then the G...

Better still G major 7,
A minor 7...

It comes naturally that when
you look for a national form of music

to develop your talent,

you turn to choro.

Because it’s a very difficult music,
with a high level of virtuosity,

it demands lots of discipline,
lots of study.

It ends up being the school
of Brazilian musicians, right?

Villa Lobos had already said this,

as well as Tom Jobim, Baden Powell,
because all of them to a certain extent...

Baden came from choro.

But all of them to a certain extent
learned from choro.

Villa Lobos even said that
choro is the essence

and soul of music in Brazil.

So I think it’s very natural that
someone who wants to be

a Brazilian musician, in a Brazilian
way, seeks choro as a school.

Choro is older than
samba and jazz.

We have three distinct
influences in choro.

The melodic and harmonic structure
of European ballroom dancing,

the rhythm of African music

and the melancholic
interpretation

of the Brazilian Indian.

The relation with samba
has always been very natural.

Samba is more

directly linked to
black communities,

to religious rites.

But many of these musicians
were choro musicians.

In Pixinguinha’s house,
for instance,

there was the house of the saints,
candomblé in the back yard,

where samba
reigned,

and choro was played
in the main room.

But the musicians moved around.

Pixinguinha, Donga,

they moved around
all these divisions.

A C#...

E.

Do it slowly...

A family of musicians...

spontaneous musicians,

Full of life, of talent...

My mother,

daughter of Italians,

my father, Brazilian...

Brazilian, Portuguese, Spanish...

Very much involved
in culture by...

through luck, through talent.

I was born

from this marriage and...

and I too came out
breathing music.

Music does me good,
makes me...

feel happy,

and this marriage...

made me crazy about sound,

about music,
about the way of feeling,

about the word which doesn’t exist,
about the colour which doesn’t exist.

I’m a part of
this type of feeling.

I mean, that’s what I seek
in the music I make.

I’m seeking that colour...

Seven strings is an orchestra,
it’s an orchestrated guitar,

an intelligent guitar,

a guitar which intends
to be intelligent.

It’s a guitar which
doesn’t play blindly,

which doesn’t offer security,
which doesn’t...

No! It’s an instrument
which proposes ideas.

-This is going to be something also. It’s C.
-It’s C...

- E flat major.
- E flat major.

- It’s E flat major 7.
- E flat major sharp 5.

Can you hear me Zezé?

No, I can’t hear,
to me harmony doesn’t exist.

I can’t hear a thing.
It’s all...

all scattered.

- It lacks weight.
- It’s E flat major with 7, right?

It lacks weight,
and I can’t find myself either.

- But that’s what rehearsal is all about.
- No, exactly for...

Rehearsals are for criticizing... Complaining
about the musicians. That mandolin...

- It’s fading.
- Indeed. As you said...

Could it be an octave higher?

- What? That change?
- Yes... Yes...

No, no, no way!
Don’t even think about it!

The tone already isn’t worth a damn...
The string is too tight here.

- You should play that part gently...
- There’s no going back...

That’s what’s spreading the harmony.

- Is that what you want?
- I don’t think so...

When you get the sound,
you do it this way.

But you alone is one thing,

now when you’re playing with a bunch
of people, you can’t hear yourself...

Choro’s influence can
be detected in the work

of great geniuses
of Brazilian music

often not linked
to choro,

as is the case of Tom Jobim,
the giant of Bossa Nova,

who, along with Pixinguinha,
is one of Brazil’s greatest songwriters.

When you pass by

So lovely

On that sun bathed street

My soul gets so tormented

That I even forget
about football

Come quickly
Come without fear

It was for you, my heart

That I kept this secret

Hidden in a choro song

At the very bottom
of my heart...

At the very bottom
of my heart...

Pay attention to
what I’m going to say.

It’s not you, the singer,
who chooses the song.

No, it’s the song that chooses you.

Do you know why I say that?

Because sometimes I adore a song
I’m hearing.

But if I sing it, with my voice
it turns out awful.

The same thing happens to me.

I mean to say, it’s not my song,
it didn’t choose me.

I sang when I was 4 years old, the
first song I learned

was a choro.

Yes. This is very interesting.

- But... It had to be!
- At the age of 4.

I sang, getting the words mixed up.

“Which hurts me” instead I said
“Which burns me,

Which burns my heart”.

And then time passed,

I grew up, got married,

came to live in Rio de Janeiro
and the situation got rather tough.

I thought that by getting married
I wouldn’t work any more.

I would take care of my daughter,
of the house...

But things didn’t turn out that way.

I suffered, but I felt
the need to seek

the milieu I liked.
And of course...

I had it hidden in me,
after arriving here...

If I managed, OK,

if I didn’t, I wasn’t going
to struggle to find it.

I... I was already on radio,
the Radioclube do Brasil,

when Benedito Lacerda,
I didn’t have a contract

or anything,

he took me to a place
where he was going to play.

So I went. And there
he soloed “Tico-Tico no Fuba”.

I say to him:
“I know the lyrics to this song”.

He said:
“No you don’t, there are no lyrics!”

I say: “Yes there are. I’II show you.
Go a tone lower”.

I lowered the tone
and started to sing in his ear.

The Tico Tico bird
The Tico Tico bird

Is eating
All, all my cornmeal

See Mr. Nicholas
The cornmeal is gone

I grab my woodpecker gun
And the shot goes off

Then I feel sorry
For the fright he had

And I give a full bowl
of cornmeal

Joyfully flying away
Chirping

My cornmeal, my cornmeal
Jumping from here to there

There was a day
When he didn’t come back

And his tasty cornmeal
Flew away in the wind

I became sad, I almost cried
But then I saw

Soon after there was not
Only one but two

I want to speak quietly
About the life of both

They made their nest
And had little ones

They all now jump here
And there

Always eating the cornmeal
Jumping here and there

The Tico Tico bird
The Tico Tico bird

Is eating
All, all my cornmeal

See Mr. Nicholas
The cornmeal is gone

I grab my woodpecker gun
And the shot goes off

Then I feel sorry
For the fright he had

And I give a full bowl
of cornmeal

Joyfully flying away
Chirping

My cornmeal, my cornmeal
Jumping from here to there

When I recorded
Tico Tico no Fuba...

And it was a tremendous hit,

then they tried to start writing

new lyrics for choro music. Because the
choro... was just instrumental.

Then it became a song.

I have a foot corn
Which is like a person

When cold weather comes
It makes the weather warmer

But this foot corn
Can almost speak

It even guesses
When the weather will change

They already taught me
How to cut it out

To put tomato on it
And hot peppers

Be patient
Dona Margarida

I’m not food
To be seasoned

I have a foot corn
Which is like a person

When cold weather comes
It makes the weather warmer

But this foot corn
Can almost speak

It even guesses
When the weather will change

They already taught me
How to cut it out

To put tomato on it
And hot peppers

Be patient
Dona Margarida

I’m not food
To be seasoned

Ah, don’t step on my corn

The more I speak
The more you step on me

Because of this corn
I’m warning you

I’ll end up ripping your shirt

Now stop fooling around
and uttering nonsense

Don’t rip my shirt
It’s the only one I have

Whoever suffers from corns
Doesn’t aim for the moon

Leaves his feet at home
Before hitting the street

I have a foot corn
Which is like a person

When cold weather comes
It makes the weather warmer

But this foot corn
Can almost speak

It even guesses
When the weather will change

They already taught me
How to cut it out

To put tomato on it
And hot peppers

Be patient
Dona Margarida

I’m not food
To be seasoned

I’m not food
To be seasoned

I’m not food
To be seasoned...

I have some samba-choros
that I sing. By Ciro de Souza,

Pedro Caetano,
Wilson Batista.

Ciro de Souza has a
funny one because...

Sambas are generally
very chauvinist.

It’s always men saying
that women are slutty,

that they’re no good,
that...

There’s a truly great one
called “The Orgy Husband”.

You mustn’t treat me this way

I’m not used to this
I think it’s bad

You only arrive
At home late in the morning

And if by chance
I haven’t woken up yet

You get furious
And want to beat me

I’ve already consulted
I’ve already consulted my lawyer

And he said
The case is complicated

An orgy husband
Doesn’t have the right

To hit a woman
Who respects herself

You’ve already abused
Your authority

And I have to put up
With such mistreatment...

Ciro de Souza...

My father had a band...

Amateur, it was an
amateur band.

We played at home.

And I played the pandeiro, at six years
old I played the pandeiro in his band.

And my home was much
frequented by musicians,

such as Benedito Lacerda,
Pixinguinha, Dante Santoro.

Because Dino 7 Cordas,
my brother,

was a member of
Benedito Lacerda’s band.

And I was
already 14,

when a musician called us at home
to invite my brother Lino,

who was...

Excuse me...

Who was my eldest brother...

And he...

the guy asked Lino to go do
a program on Radio Tamoio

on the following day,
this was a Saturday...

He wanted Lino to bring along

a pandeiro player.

So Lino said:
“Look I can’t...

contact anybody now
to...”

In those days it was difficult
to do things by phone.

“But I have my brother here,
he’s a little young but...

he can come with us.”

So Ademar said:
“All right then, at a pinch...”

“...you bring him along today.
But next Sunday

you take a professional
pandeiro player”.

So I went...
and they kept me.

When I saw you
playing on television...

With Clementina de Jesus,
twenty odd years ago...

- It was in 73..
- I was very impressed.

I remember that... I grew up playing
batucada in the streets of Copacabana.

And the pandeiro
was my last instrument.

And seeing you play,
it dawned on me:

“Wow, this sound
sums it all up!”

- It’s the beat, right?
Yes, it was. It’s like this...

Correct me if I’m wrong.

That’s it! And I followed in his steps, right?
I was lucky to have it all at home.

I come from a generation which has
already absorbed all the information

from you
and your records.

I processed everything with
the pop music,

- which is what I normally play.
- Which has also gone through major changes.

Which made me invert the pandeiro beat.
Do you understand?

Instead of starting here...

-I start here...
- It’s complicated for us...

But then I threw in
Afro-Brazilian music.

In a project with Paulo Moura,
when I saw

the real logic of the Candomblé drums,
and that the bass is the soloist.

So then I thought: “Well, the best
bass is done with the thumb”.

If I remove my thumb from the beat,

- I put it exactly...
-You get the thumb free.

Within Afro logic, right?
So I began to think:

The first thing is to remove it
from the first and the second, right?

Like this...

And the bass...

using the technique which
comes from your school,

- which is the bass with this finger.
- But in the regional band,

- as it only has the pandeiro...
- The pandeiro...

The bass is practically limited
to the pandeiro.

The pandeiro has to do the part
of the rhythm section.

So the pandeiro holds it all together,
it has to beat the strong tempo.

-Strong.
- Like this then.

- Then one...and two..., one...
- And then two...

...so the others can have
a reference.

Thinking over the Afro thing.

Let’s go back to Pixinguinha.
The question of Pixinguinha is that...

He really was
a landmark

in the rhythm of choro
and samba.

Because he...

When you hear his band
Os Oito Batutas...

I’m me
And the other I don’t know who he is

Sing as I... Go on!

I’m me
And the other I don’t know who he is

I’m me
And the other I don’t know who he is

The pandeiro at the time...

You are always angry,
in a bad mood,

I arrive tired at home
And I can’t sleep

You just can’t stop talking,
A new issue everyday

And you don’t explain why
What a low point, my God

I can’t stand this life anymore
This is no life

I sought heaven

And it was in hell
That I ended up...

The sound of the tramway!
Throw in that beat here...

Yes!

Yes!

Improvisation is done by
those who can improvise.

Improvisation is not an obligatory

part of choro.

But this variation which is
generally done

around the melody, or the counterpoint,
or something similar.

It’s a very common thing. I think that
it’s something... improvisation in choro. ..

It’s very different from the
concept applied in American music.

Improvisation is not provoked.
As in:

“Now you’re free
to go ahead!” “Ok!”

Improvisation, sometimes,
is a variation.

A subtle variation,
and you return to the theme,

in the middle, right?

I mean, improvisation
on the theme

and both become mixed,
right?

I spend all day here.
My routine...

I do it everyday in here...

I sit here.

Well this clarinet here,
like all of them,

is always divided in little pieces...

I stick a piece here,

join another piece there...

This clarinet is made of acrylic.

I found the acrylic clarinet,
the first I had,

in a shop window,

lost, the poor thing, abandoned.

Nobody wanted to play it.

So I thought: “Well,

as it’s all alone, from now on
it will share my life

and start its career with me.”

Ever since

I’ve been playing an acrylic clarinet.

And I have a very intimate relationship

with the reed,

because it doesn’t work very well
if I don’t treat it with loving care.

Such loving care
has to begin

with a little lick,

like this.

And another... sometimes
she can prove very demanding.

After this,

it’s rare that...

she’ll let me down.

I have to put it
in the right place,

to get that
rasping sound

that I like.

Not yet.

Let’s go!

I wanted to be a saxophone player...

but I ended up a clarinet player...

I mean, at least in my opinion.

There’s many people
who think I’m neither.

Neither saxophone nor clarinet player.

I say that because...

often I’m playing
the clarinet

and somebody comes and says:

“Your clarinet sounds
like a saxophone”.

Or when I’m playing the saxophone somebody
says: “You sound like a clarinet”.

On the same day sometimes
I played in the symphonic orchestra,

played in a big band
and I had to play jazz,

and at night I went to play for a dance,

and there I had
to play popular tunes

and resort to that irresponsible
way of making music.

Which is the type of music for gafieira
joints... Mixing everything together.

Choro, samba and other rhythms

all in the manner, or rather style,

prevailing here in the suburbs
of Rio de Janeiro.

What I would like to do,
and I think

it’s the right moment.

It’s doing...

choro, samba, or this mixture because
I don’t know if I play only choro

or if I play samba.

Quite a jazzified
choro,

which by the way,

is the type of choro that I like,

because it’s more extroverted

and also...

it favours solos.

I like to play while
seeing the dancer’s reaction.

I think that, when I do this,

when I communicate with
one dancer only,

I’m communicating with all...

And the dancer

instigates me,

gives me creative ideas in terms
of rhythm.

Because Brazilian rhythm
is highly distinctive.

Our rhythm involves more
the central part of the body.

Involves the hips more
than other rhythms.

So to try

and involve this part
is what’s good...

Here is João de Moraes Martins,

who’s the founder
of the band Pena de Ouro.

He founded the band in...

1850 or 1860.

And the people who played
in the band were slaves because...

The family bought
slaves in Africa

and when they arrived here, instead of
hard labor, living in slave quarters

they became integrated into the family,
became part of it.

Then they started to learn
music and everything.

And one of the descendants

of these people who came from
Africa — the slaves — is Nem...

Rodrigo, who plays with us,
plays with us until today.

So it’s something which passed
in this manner

from generation to generation.

Brazil has a long and rich tradition
of hinterland musical bands.

Bands such as Cordeiro’s
have had a fundamental role

in the education
of young musicians to this day.

Today musicians,
especially trombone players,

want to attain that special
level of virtuosity...

But not Zé da Velha, he's got a lot
of that bossa thing... He has a heart

like no other musician has.

Many musicians think it’s just a question
of virtuosity, of reaching perfection.

Zé has something of a heart
and something

of the necessary technique.

So my ambition is to follow
in his steps

because he’s my idol...

Zé da Velha.

I’m going to call two little guys

whose company gives me so much pleasure.

Two boys
from Cordeiro.

One’s called Everson

and the other Aquiles.

They’re ours...

our future duo.

And I’m Zé da Velha (old Zé)
and this is Silverio Pontes.

And these other two are:

Zé da Nova (new Zé)— on the trombone

and Silvério Pinguelinha (little penguin)—trumpet.
Please...

The secret of choro’s vitality
lies in passion.

A passion which unites people from
different regions and social classes

to extol a music which is historical

and at the same time
open to new influences.

This year the Barca do Choro (Choro ferry)

brought some of these aficionados
to the Niteroi Municipal Theatre

on National Choro Day —
April 23 —

the birthday of composer Pixinguinha,
the ultimate icon of this passion.

I want to see...

My heart

I don’t know why

Beats happily

When it sees you

And my eyes smile

And along the streets
I follow you

But nonetheless

You flee from me

My heart

I don’t know why

Beats happily

When it sees you

And my eyes smile

And along the streets
I follow you

But nonetheless

You flee from me

Ah, if only you knew
How tender I am

So tender, so tender
How I love you

And how my love is sincere

I know that you would
no longer flee from me

Come, come,

come, come,

Come and feel the warmth

Of my lips

Seeking yours

Come and satisfy this passion

Which devours my heart

And then only in this way

I will be happy

So happy

Thank you

Shanty hut

Hanging on the hillside

Asking for my help

The city at your feet

Shanty hut

I listen to your voice

I don’t forget you for a minute

Because I know who you are

Tin hut

Tradition of my land

Tin hut

So poor

Miserable

Shanty hut

Hanging on the hillside

Asking for my help

The city

at your feet

Shanty hut

I listen to your voice

I don’t forget you for a minute

Because I know who you are

Tin hut

Tin hut

Tin hut