Special Series from WFMT Radio Network launches July 5 and airs nationally leading up to and during the Olympics Chicago, IL (June 5, 2016) – Music lovers will be immersed in Brazil’s best-kept musical secret starting July 5th, when the WFMT Radio Network launches A Joyful Cry: Brazil’s Choro Music, a new four-part audio series that will unfold leading up to and during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Wildly catchy but still mostly unknown in the U.S., choro (pronounced SHOH-roh) originated in Brazil in the 1860s, merging distinctly Brazilian sounds with classical and jazz traditions as it evolved over the years. Though its name comes from the word “cry,” it is celebrated as one of Brazilian music’s most uplifting and energetic genres, boasting distinctive rhythms and alluring melodies that showcase the virtuosity of its practitioners.
Designed as a primer for audiences new to choro, A Joyful Cry will be hosted by Julie Koidin, author of Choro Conversations: Pursuing Life, Love and Brazil’s Musical Identity (2013), and Brazilian-born percussionist Geraldo de Oliveira. The two will guide listeners through the genre’s history, explore the roles of different instruments in the overall sound, and share interviews with today’s most renowned choro musicians.
The series is produced by the WFMT Radio Network, which creates and distributes some of the world’s most popular arts and culture audio programs, including Carnegie Hall, Shanghai Symphony, The New York Philharmonic, PoetryNow, Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin and more than two dozen other arts radio programs. The four-part series will air on public radio stations nationwide, including markets in New York, Illinois, Florida, Virginia and Arizona. The four episodes are as follows (all will begin airing on public radio stations on July 5):
- A History of Choro to the Present Day: Host Julie Koidin and co-host Geraldo de Oliveira introduce choro’s origins in the late 19th century and its development to the present day, combining historic recordings with stories about the music itself.
- Choro meets Classical: This exploration of the connection between choro and classical music looks at classically trained choro stars like guitarist Heitor Villa Lobos — who used to sneak out of his house late at night to play choro — and composers like Radames Gnàttali, Mozart Camargo Guarnieri, and Marco César, who will share his own thoughts on the subject.
- The Brass and Woodwind Virtuosos of Choro: Flutist Altamiro and trumpeter Silverio Pontes, two leading lights of the contemporary choro scene, lend their voices to a discussion of some of the finest brass and woodwind musicians in the history of choro.
- The String Players of Choro: The conversation moves to the string section, with the spotlight on mandolinist Jacob do Bandoli (“Jaco”), one of the most famous choro artists ever. The hosts explain the enormous dexterity required of choro string players, and introduce listeners to other masters of the mandolin, guitar, and cavaquinho (a Brazilian ukulele).
“Brazil has such a rich cornucopia of musical traditions that some of them fly under the world’s radar, but now is a perfect time to introduce choro to the global audience it deserves,” said Tony Macaluso, director of syndication and series executive producer, WFMT Radio Network. “With the 2016 Summer Olympics drawing the world’s attention to Rio, we’re thrilled to present audiences with this lively primer on some of the most joyous and flirtatious music in Brazil’s cultural history.”