Brazilian Choro Music Festival: Choro Amor & Chorando na Chuva

• Choro Amor
• Chorando na Chuva

Celebrating 10 years of rodas do choro open jams at Couth Buzzard Books and Zen Arts Group.

Three days of performances highlighting the versatility of this roots music called the soul of Brazil. Starting in 19th-century Rio de Janeiro, choro blends African rhythms with European dance forms in a lively, intricate mix of ensemble playing.

The Couth Buzzard's hosting of the choro community has enabled it to grow into a number of seasoned bands that perform around the Puget Sound region. These bands each fashion a distinct way to play choro and draw from different parts of its vast repertoire.

The highlight of the festival is an appearance by choro aces Rogério and Tiago Souza from Rio, on 7-string guitar and bandolim, respectively. They come from a family that has been active in Rio's choro scene for generations.

Schedule of events:

October 20 – Couth Buzzard Books
7:30pm Choro Amor
8:30pm Chorando na Chuva

October 21 – Zen Arts Group
7pm Rogério and Tiago Souza from Rio de Janeiro

October 22 – Couth Buzzard Books
2pm Choroloco
3pm Choro Tomorrow
4pm Roda do Choro open jam, 10th anniversary

About Chorando na Chuva

For nearly two decades, Chorando na Chuva ("Crying in the Rain") has celebrated Brazilian culture though its music, especially choro's blend of African grooves and European dance tunes that grew into samba and bossa nova and still itself evolves. In performance, they pour decades of musical exploration and travel to Brazil into tight arrangements that bring out the beauty of this upbeat joyful style, especially its unsung vocal heritage. Notably they have played at BrasilFest since 2012, a monthly gig at C&P Coffee for 5 years; taught workshops at the University of Washington, Centrum Choro Workshop, and Northwest Folklife; and served as long-time hosts of the monthy roda de choro jam sessions at the Couth Buzzard Bookstore. The group features KTzinha (flute and voice), Paul Korsmo (7-string guitar and voice), Arthur Knapp (cavaquinho and guitar), and Wayne Organ (percussion and voice).