As mentioned in the previous Baden Powell post, Brazilian guitar is a world in itself. Here, we'd like to remember the art of Garoto (1915-1955; born Anibal Augusto Sardinha) with a rare recording he made in 1950. Considered by many as the 'father' of Brazilian guitar, Garoto had his roots in the choro tradition and in the Thirties his work was shared mainly between radio and recordings. During his 1939 tour in the U.S.A. with Carmen Miranda, his guitar playing caught the attention of great jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Art Tatum. As a composer, he blended the Brazilian tradition with jazz harmonies, anticipating by years the bossa nova conception. This is a brief but exquisite example of his art.
Thanks a lot for remembering Garoto, the originator of modern Brasilian guitar. The title of the tune played in the video is 'Um Rosta de Mulher' (in English: 'A Woman's face'). It was recorded as a private recording by Ronoel Simões during one of the sessions featuring Garoto alone in studio 1950-54. The remaining recordings from these sessions have finally been issued 2006 on a cd from the German Chantarelle label (CHR 006), a historical document of indispensable value, if you are interested in the music of Garoto.
ReplyDeleteJo at http://choro-music.blogspot.com/