This Friday, the Felicja Blumental Music Center in Tel Aviv will shake up a musical caipirinha – a performance of Israel’s only choro ensemble, the Clube de Choro. These artists all bring with them a love of music and create a fun, friendly, casual atmosphere – typical of the original “rodas de choro”, “circles” of or gatherings of choro musicians who get together to play and perform.
Like Bossa Nova and samba, choro is the result of several musical traditions blending together in the tropical melting pot of ethnically-diverse Rio de Janeiro. When local musicians, influenced by Brazilian and African rhythms, began to perform European musical genres, choro was born. Since then the style has risen in popularity and attracted musicians of various genres, from classical composers Milhaud and Villa-Lobos to modern stars such as Gilberto Gil. Today it can be heard all over Brazil, in clubs, auditoriums and street corners.
Choro was and is traditionally played among friends, in a casual setting, and brings together people who share a profound love for music. The Felicja Blumental Music Center in Tel Aviv, where the intimate setting allows for greater communication between the audience and the performers, is the perfect venue for such a performance.
Choro features traditional Brazilian instruments such as the cavaquinho, a small guitar-like instrument with four strings, the sete, or 7-string guitar, and the pandeiro, a light percussion instrument. Other instruments include flutes, guitars and accordions.
In Portuguese, “choro” means “lament” – but this is a misleading title for the genre, which features fast rhythms and uplifting melodies. This is especially true when played by a group of musicians such as the Israeli Clube de Choro. You’ll see a lot of smiling faces and tapping feet – and you’ll see that both are infectious.
The Israeli Clube de Choro is comprised of 20 or so members, of all ages and backgrounds. They form not only a music ensemble, but also a kind of music academy, where the younger members can learn from the pros. Some of them also contribute compositions of their own, which are then performed by the group. They perform regularly in Jaffa – every other Friday – not in a concert hall but under the clear blue sky, in the picturesque Mazalot neighborhood. Last summer, the Clube opened Gilberto Gil’s outdoor concert at the amphitheater in Ashdod.
The Clube was founded in 2012 by the Brazilian-Israeli ensemble Chorole, which is comprised of four outstanding musicians – Salit Lahav (flute), Gabriel Marques (7-string guitar), Daniel Ring (cavaquinho) and Oded Aloni (percussion) – who were the first to bring this art form to Israel. They have performed all over Israel for various audiences, and have had several successful tours of Brazil. The ensemble has issued two CDs as well: check them out on Chorole’s Amazon page .
Experience Choro firsthand this Friday at 21:30 at the Felicja Blumental Music Center. Tickets cost only 40 NIS and can be ordered by phone at 03-620-11-85.
