[Dixielandjazz] Brasilian Tuba

[David M Richoux]

Thanks - Tito Martino also posted a lot more info on this person  
yesterday.

Dave RIchoux
On Oct 9, 2010, at 5:12 PM, ROBERT R. CALDER wrote:

> I owe Ken a longtime promised packet, meaning package rather than as  
> slang might
> suggest a load of money. Relapses and 'flu' have kept me housebound  
> for a couple
> of weeks, but I did manage to contact Michael the Latinamericanist,  
> sometime of
> Princeton, for further info on the Brassilian Brass band stuff.
>
>
> One thing I know about valve trombones is that Verdi campaigned  
> fiercely against
> their presence in opera orchestras, I think because of problems of  
> pitch
> in Italian opera orchestra ensemble work due to their widespread use  
> and his
> larger musical ambitions.
>
>  There seems to have been a larger proportion of them at one time in  
> Italy and
> this proportion may have continued in Latin America. This is what  
> Michael
> adds:---
>
> M: from the verbal description, sounded like it could be a variation  
> on frevo
> (brass band music from the northeast). But the videos say otherwise.  
> They seem
> to be from São Paulo (SP) state, and as Ken observes, the music is  
> more akin to
> choro, early Brazilian string chamber jazz, if you will. But  
> sousaphone and
> brass are not really associated with choro: flute, clarinet and sax  
> are. “Cego,”
> by the way, is “blind” as in… Blind Boy Tuba?
>  Search engine-ing also suggests this fellow is an evangelical  
> protestant. Back
> before recorded music, every town in Latin America worth its salt  
> had a brass
> band, the military influence, so this appears to be a carryover from  
> when
> musicians took to the street for religious holidays and processions.  
> However,
> the protestant insurgence in Brazil is a late development, the last  
> two decades
> or so. That’s about as much as I know. Sending this on to a  
> Brazilian friend
> from SP who may know more.
>
>  Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 21:08:52 +0100 from "Ken Mathieson"
> <ken at kenmath.free-online.co.uk>
>
> Hi Dave et al,
> The first 2 clips are of a Brasilian band playing hymns and when the  
> rhythm gets
> going it's akin to the Brasilian musical style called choro.  
> Normally choro
> groups are predominantly composed of stringed instruments like  
> cavaquinho,
> mandolin, guitar and 7-string accoustic bass guitar plus a  
> percussionist,
> usually playing a brasilian tambourine, although sometimes they add  
> a wind
> instrument, generally a flute or clarinet. In these clips, the tuba  
> is playing a
> fluid improvised bass line similar to the role of the 7-string  
> guitar in choro.
> The instrumentation on the clips makes the rhythm more ponderous  
> than choro
> usually is, but it's an interesting example of rural brasilian  
> religious music.
> The third clip, by a different band, sounds like similar religious  
> music. It's
> all a bit rough and ready, but the presence of valve trombone in so  
> many clips
> is interesting: it's used a lot in street bands in the carnival  
> season and,
> since every town in Brasil will have a carnival celebration with  
> parades, floats
> and music, you come across valve trombones the length and breadth of  
> the
> country. It's certainly a commoner instrument there than in UK.
> Cheers,
> Ken Mathieson
> www.classicjazzorchestra.org.uk
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> To unsubscribe or change your e-mail preferences for the Dixieland  
> Jazz Mailing list, or to find the online archives, please visit:
>
> http://ml.islandnet.com/mailman/listinfo/dixielandjazz
>
>
>
> Dixielandjazz mailing list
> Dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com