National Choro Day celebrates Pixinguinha and Brazilian cultural identity: ‘Soundtrack of a people’ | Rio de Janeiro

Rio – On September 4, 2000, the Official Gazette of the Union published Law No. 10,000, signed by then president Fernando Henrique Cardoso, with the following description: “National Crying Day is hereby established, to be celebrated annually on 23 April, the birthday of Alfredo da Rocha Viana Júnior, known as Pixinguinha”. With this, the oldest rhythm of Brazilian popular music now has a day to call its own. This Tuesday (23), when Saint George is also honored, was the date chosen to celebrate the birth of Pixinguinha (1897-1973), the exponent of ‘chorinho’ and one of the biggest names in MPB.

Inspired by European culture, choro has African influences in its melody, making it a genuinely Brazilian rhythm. The first groups emerged at the end of the 19th century, in the suburbs of Rio. Over the years, choro has consolidated itself as one of the most authentic forms of music in the country, incorporating elements of improvisation and pulsating rhythms.

To the DAY, the professor, writer and historian, Luiz Antônio Simas, talked about the emergence of rhythm. “It is a musical style that was born in Rio de Janeiro in the second half of the 19th century, through musicians such as Joaquim Callado and Chiquinha Gonzaga. Choro is an urban rhythm, which brings references from European ballroom music with a Brazilian rhythm with an African foundation. Certainly, the biggest name in the history of choro is Pixinguinha, a carioca who was born in the context where urban music in Rio was taking shape. That’s why National Choro Day pays homage to the greatest ‘chorão’ of all time. absolute genius”, explained the historian.

In addition to Pixinguinha, Ernesto Nazareth, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Joaquim Callado, Jacob do Bandolim and Anacleto de Medeiros are the main representatives of the first generations, directly contributing to the consolidation of the musical style. In fact, the first international choro tour was carried out by the group ‘Os Batutas’, directed by Pixinguinha, in 1922. For six months, the band performed in Paris.

In May 2012, Rio City Hall declared the musical genre as Carioca Cultural Heritage, by decree 35,550. The document considered the relevance of the rhythm as one of the first musical manifestations in Rio and the musical legacy of the artists who produced songs. In February 2024, the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan) recognized choro as the 53rd Intangible Cultural Heritage of Brazil.

In 1998, mandolinist and composer, Hamilton de Holanda, opened a calendar and, together with his mandolin student, questioned why there was no special date for choro. Then, the musician managed to get in touch with Senator Artur da Távola, who proposed the bill on the National Crying Day. On May 19, 1999, the document was approved by the Federal Senate and, later, by the Chamber of Deputies. On September 4, 2000, the Official Gazette of the Union published the decree.

In an interview with DAY, Hamilton commented on the relevance of crying. “It is a national treasure and deserves to be cared for and revered forever. On National Choro Day, we remember masters such as Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, Chiquinha Gonzaga and many others who gave life to this unique style. May we always honor and preserve this rich musical heritage, celebrating with passion and joy”, said the musician.

UniRio’s Portable Music School, in the South Zone, was created by choro musicians in 2000, out of the need to pass on their knowledge of the genre. Currently, the teaching team has around 40 teachers of flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, double bass, guitar, cavaquinho, mandolin, tambourine, percussion, piano and singing. Since 2005, the school has enrolled more than a thousand students per semester.

The cavaquinist and composer, Luciana Rabello, was one of the founders of Portátil, the only choro school in Rio de Janeiro. “The school started 24 years ago. Before, we did a choro workshop with kids interested in music. Over time, this circle grew and had more than 200 people. So, as it wasn’t possible to do a circle with these people, we did the Portable School of Music”, he commented.

Also founded by Luciana, in 2015, the House of Cry, in the Center, is a meeting point between the memory, present and future of Brazilian music. The space hosts weekly shows and events, such as festivals and lectures, highlighting the best of choro. On the 23rd, 24th and 25th of April, inclusive, there will be a celebration with performances by various artists.

The influence of Pixinguinha’s sound led Luiz Carlos Nunuka, 71 years old, in partnership with his friends, to create a choro circle in Praça Ramos Figueira, in Olaria, in the North Zone, in 2012. Since then, the event has been attracting the attention of local residents and rhythm lovers, making Nunuka think of an alternative to further enhance that type of music: Trem do Choro, created in 2013. This year, the event completes 11 years of existence and It leaves Central do Brasil, from platform 13, towards Olaria, with wagons full of cries.

Upon arriving in Olaria, the procession heads towards Praça Ramos Figueira, known as Pixinguinha’s stronghold, a place close to where the musician lived for years. O Crying Train of 2024 is scheduled to leave this Tuesday (23), starting at 8:30 am, on platform 13 of Central do Brasil. This year, Pixinguinha, Jacob do Bandolim, Severino Araújo, Chiquinha Gonzaga, Altamiro Carrilho, Raphael Rabello, Joaquim Callado and Paulo da Portela will be honored. Each wagon will be represented by a name.

The City Council held, this Friday (19), a tribute to National Crying Day. In addition to a debate on the current scenario of the circles in the city, Motions of Praise and Applause were delivered to several honorees, such as Dudu Nogueira, Paulão Sete Cordas, Ronaldo do Bandolim and artists from Instituto 100% Suburbano, which promotes the Trem do Choro .

Nunuka explains that, although National Crying Day honors Pixinguinha’s birthday, the musician was not born on April 23rd. “On this day, we honor Saint George and Pixinguinha’s birthday, even though he wasn’t born on this date. But, at that time, people were born and were only registered months later”, he pointed out.

The critic and historian Ary Vasconcelos (1926 – 2003) once made an accurate definition of Pixinguinha. “If you have 15 volumes to talk about all Brazilian popular music, rest assured that it is not enough. But, if you only have the space for one word, not everything is lost. Write quickly: ‘Pixinguinha'”.