The Sound of Rio: Brasileirinho
Mika Kaurismäki (Brazil, Finland)
2007, Marianna Films/Milan
90 minutes (Portuguese and English)
LATAMROB rating: ***
MANY MUSIC lovers enjoy Bossa Nova but few may know that in the late 19th century in Rio de Janeiro Brazilian musicians blended a rich mishmash of European, Afro-Brazilian and indigenous rhythms and melodies resulting in Choro – the first urban musical expression of Brazil’s cultural identity. Choro remained popular into the 1920s and gave rise to Samba and then Bossa Nova before fading, but it is today making a strong comeback. Finnish film director Mika Kaurismäki – of the musically gifted Kaurismäki family – has lived in Brazil for 16 years. In this documentary, the director of Moro no Brasil, Tigrero, Rytmi, Sambólico and Amazon takes the viewer on a beautiful journey through the evolution of Choro over the past 130 years and key events in the history of Brazilian music, focusing on Choro and its current and vibrant revival. The film features the Trio Madeira Brasil and artists Zezé Gonzaga, Guinga and Elza Soares. To crown this inspiring film, there is a Choro workshop with over 450 participants of every age who discuss their takes on music and provide a taste of Brazil’s opulence in guitar skills. The final show by Trio Madeira Brasil and guests in one of Rio’s most traditional Choro music halls is an energetic musical cocktail that will make you dance more than if you had drunk a whole jug of Capirinha. – GJ
