A Brief History Of Choro

In the late nineteenth century in Rio a new musical style emerged that would become one of the most creative musical manifestations in Brazil. Choro is primarily an instrumental form, and to a North American ear might sound a little like a small Dixieland jazz combo playing with strange rhythms, extreme melodic leaps, unexpected modulations, and occasional breakneck tempos.

Choro and jazz are both characterized by their use of improvisation and mixtures of African and European musical elements. Interestingly, choro's early development arguably predates that of both ragtime, which first appeared in the 1890s, and jazz, which emerged at the start of the twentieth century.

Excerpted from The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music Of Brazil (Temple University Press, 1998). © Chris McGowan & Ricardo Pessanha, 1991 / 1998
Reproduction and web use not permitted without consent of the authors.
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