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 recent choro works and collaborations with renowned Brazilian performers and composers. The 2018 first CD, “The View from Here”, is a reflection of what is happening today in the world of choro...
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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 recent choro works and collaborations with renowned Brazilian performers and composers. The 2018 first CD, “The View from Here”, is a reflection of what is happening today in the world of choro. The Ensemble has been actively promoting the advancement of this genre via performances, workshops, and the annual Berkeley Festival of Choro. Members Jane Lenoir and Brian Rice recently produced the 5th Berkeley Festival of Choro, celebrating local ensembles in collaboration with visiting guest artists from Brazil. The group’s performance at CJC will include selections from “The View from Here”, as well as their own arrangements of newer repertoire from reknowned Brazilian composers, including works by Paulinho da Viola, Sergio Santos, Cristovão Bastos, and Luciana Rabello. Flutist and group founder JANE LENOIR is classically trained and comfortable in many genres; she has performed with symphony orchestras, new music ensembles, chamber and early music groups, as well as jazz, latin and Brazilian groups. She has recorded and/or performed with the Seattle Group for New Music, Matiz Ensemble, as well as Brazilian artists Paulo Sergio Santos, Rogério Souza, Caio Marcio Dos Santos, Netinho Albuquerque, and Alessandro Penezzi. http://www.janelenoir.com Saxophonist/clarinetist HARVEY WAINAPEL has his feet firmly planted in two musical worlds. He has worked with jazz masters such as McCoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, Joe Henderson, the Metropole Orchestra, Ray Charles, and Joe Lovano. Wainapel’s deep connection with Brazilian music has resulted in performances and recordings with Guinga, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim, Jovino Santos Neto, Marco César, Amilton Godoy, Léa Freire, Spok, and Paulo Bellinati, among many other notables from that country. To date Harvey has presented his work in clubs, festivals and studios in 22 countries. http://www.harvjazz.com A native of Rio de Janeiro, RICARDO PEIXOTO (7-string acoustic guitar) came to the US on a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, and later settled in the Bay Area. As a guitarist and composer he has integrated his Brazilian roots with the improvisational freedom of jazz. Ricardo has recorded, performed, and collaborated with Claudia Villela, Flora Purim and Airto, Bud Shank, Toots Thielmans, Dori Caymmi, Rogério Souza, Guinga, Marcos Silva, and Arturo Sandoval among others. Percussionist Brian Rice has devoted much of his musical career to playing Brazilian music and choro in particular. He has performed with Mike Marshall, Jovino Santos Neto, Danilo Brito, Dudu Maia, Alessandro Penezzi, Paulo Sergio Santos and Rogério Souza among others. Brian has performed at the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and the Savannah Music Festival with the Danilo Brito Quintet. Brian is the co-founder and artistic director of the Berkeley Festival of Choro, now in its fourth year presenting choro music to the San Francisco Bay Area.
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