Learn more about Brazilian Music and Culture: Choro

Pintura por Cândido Portinari (domínio público)

 

Most of my students have heard of samba and bossa-nova*... but it is much harder to find those who know what Choro ou Chorinho is. Well, if you are like them, you need no longer miss out on this beautiful style of music.

Choro means 'cry'. It is the noun as in "um choro triste" (a sad cry) (so the first 'o' is pronounced like an 'ô', not like an 'ó'... as opposed to the verb spelled the same way, but pronounced with an ó) ... but the rhythm is most often very happy and upbeat (there seem to be a couple of different ideas on why that is the name, and since I don't know the answer, I won't go it to it). Here is a Brazilian advertisement that makes a joke based on the name of the style, where you can also hear an example of chorinho (don't worry if you don't get the joke!):




Chorinho is considered the first popular urban style of music created in Brazil (originating in the 19th century) and it is stil played in Brazil today.

If you are in New York City,  you can go to a Choro concert right here in the city! The Choro Ensemble is playing at Zinc Bar tomorrow night (04 de Agosto)!

To learn a little bit more about chorinho, read one of these articles:

• Artigo sobre o choro em inglês (only are an early beginner! Otherwise, read the next one :-))
• Artigo sobre o choro em português
• Artigo da wikipédia em inglês (only are an early beginner! Otherwise, read the next one :-))
• Artigo da wikipédia em Português

To learn about the instruments used in chorinho, see my other post with a vocabulary lesson about musical instruments in Portuguese.

To enjoy the music (and hear a little bit of Portuguese), you can watch the documentary "The sound of Rio: Brasileirinho"(imdb). If you are an advanced student, it may be good listening practice. You may try it even if you are a beginner, as there is a lot of music and not too much talking anyway:




*If you are an upper-intermediate or advanced student and really love Bossa nova, you should check this book out!

Hope to see you at Zinc bar!

Practice your Portuguese Watching Brazilian Movies at MoMA!

Another great opportunity to watch Brazilian Movies in New York City! Starting this week until the end of the month, MoMA will be showing movies by both new and established Brazilian filmmakers on their Premiere Brazil! Festival. It is a great chance to get expose to the language and different aspects of Brazilian Culture. I will certainly be watching some of the movies with my students. You should go too!

Even if you are not going with a teacher/ class, here are some tips to get even more of the experience (you can apply them to other Brazilian movies you may want to watch too). The idea is to get your mind prepared to the themes, vocabulary and the accent of the movie beforehand, so that you can make the most of it:

1. Choose the movie you want to watch. I recommend you choose based on your interests (i.e., whatever looks more fun for you)... but if you want to worry about other things, remember that movies that are very urban, with gangs etc. (like City of God) are possibly more challenging (which can be good if that is what you are looking for). You can also see if there is any information on the description about the region where the movie is set: if it is set in the same region as your teacher/ materials are from, it may be easier to understand (materials often show features of São Paulo and Rio accents). If it is set in a different region, it may be harder, but also very interesting! If my students want to watch more than one movie, I usually suggest that they try and choose movies that look like they will feature different types of language (e.g.: a rural setting and an urban setting or a move set in the Northeast and one in São Paulo), to widen their exposure.
2. Look at the cover/a picture/poster of the movie. Try and imagine what the movie is about. Make a couple sentences describing what you guess the movie is about (in Portuguese).
3. Find a description of the movie from its promotional materials, read it out loud. Underline any words you don't know and either look them up or ask your teacher to help. Now, write or say your own short description, without looking and in your own words (in Portuguese).
4. See if you can find a movie trailer and some clips of the movie. Listen to it a few times to get used to the accent. Try and repeat/ act out one of the scenes out loud. Repeat any words that you liked or where you found the pronunciation different or interesting.
5. Think about what you know of the story so far and formulate a few questions about parts of the story that you don't know, so that you can answer them after the movie? Write a small list of questions down. These can be any questions, for example Qual é o relacionamento entre a mulher loira e a morena no poster do filme? (What is the relationship between the blond woman and the brunette woman in the movie poster?), Porque a mulher loira está correndo naquela cena do trailer? (Why is the blond woman running on that scene on the trailer?). You can see if you can answer your questions after the movie.
6. Read the questions under number 7 below ("7.Review the movie") to see some aspects of the movie that you may want to notice (optional - you may just want to enjoy the movie instead).
7. Enjoy the movie!
8. Review the movie. If you have a teacher or a friend who speaks Portuguese, discuss the movie with him or her. there are may things you can talk about, here are some suggested topics (you should discuss it in Portuguese, of course):
1. Plot and characters: Summarize the plot. Say what you thought about the story in general, about each of the main characters. What was your favorite character? How did you feel during the movie (assustado, triste, feliz, emocionado)?  Did the movie make you rir ou chorar (laugh or cry)? If so, in which scenes? Did you like the ending? Would you have changed it?
2. Photography: Was the movie visually appealing? Was the 'look' of the movie (dark and heavy? Light and airy?). What were your favorite scenes (visually) in the movie? Can you describe one of the scenes, places or settings in the movie? (e.g. an old house)
3. Cuture: Did you learn anything new about Brazilian culture? Was there anything that you found interesting? Was there any habits/ actions practiced by the characters that you didn't understand?
4. Language: Was the language easy or difficult to understand?  Did you recognize and words or expressions that you already knew? Which ones? Do you remember any new words/ expressions that you found interesting? Was the accent of the characters similar or different from what you are used to? If so, did you notice how the accent was different (e.g., the pronunciation of the 's', intonation etc.).
9. Write about the movie. Write a summary or review of the movie.

 ... or if you don't want to focus on learning so much this time, just go and enjoy the movie!

Brazilian Music at MoMA Nights thoughtout July

One more for those of your learning Portuguese in NYC: MoMA Nights will be featuring a bunch of Brazilian artists this month! The events are being kicked off right now (as in the time of writing) by the awesome Nation Beat (I only heard about it now and have to head off to teach :-() and will continue through to the end of July. You can see the events scheduled here.

Brazilian Film Festival in NYC

Portuguese students and Brazilianites of NYC, this week, you have a chance to watch a bunch of Brazilian movies at a Brazilian Film festival! It is going on right now and it only lasts until Saturday:

http://www.brazilianfilmfestival.com/ny_programacao.html

Such a shame I am going to be away! Otherwise I'll do a field trip with my students for sure...

Enjoy!

Brazilian Music and Architecture at Central Park!

I'm back! To get us started, here is a little cultural event where you can listen to Portuguese (if you are in the city). It is free and ourdoors! Here is a blurb about it from the Summer Stage music series:

The 8th Annual Cine Fest Petrobras Brasil, featuring live sets from Os Paralmas Do Sucesso and Maria Gadu, followed by a screening of Oscar Niemeyer – Life is a Breath of Air

When: Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 7:00PM
Where: Central Park/Mainstage

Brazil’s finest from the fields of music, architecture and film meet in the heart of New York City.

Os Paralamas do Sucesso formed in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1970s, and are now considered one of the “Big Four” bands of Brazilian rock. They have always incorporated reggae and ska into their sound, and have over the years continued to expand their soundscapes with intricate horn arrangements and Latin rhythms. The lineup, unchanged since 1982, includes Herbert Vianna on guitar and lead vocals, Bi Ribeiro on bass, and Joao tildeo Barone on drums.

Brazilian guitarist, singer and songwriter Maria Gadu is an emerging sensation to watch. She began her career as a child and went out to garner attention with her stunning interpretation of “Ne me quitte pas” by Jacques Brel. She has been featured on several soundtracks and her self-titled debut release has already created an international buzz.

The closing night film of The 8th Annual Cine Fest Petrobras Brasil is the documentary OSCAR NIEMEYER – LIFE IS A BREATH OF AIR . Is it possible to tell a story of a nation through its architecture? Life is Breath takes its cue from its subject, renowned and influential architect Oscar Niemeyer-- the great icon of Brazil’s Modern Architecture movement-- highlighting the poetry of his forms as inspired by his country’s majestic geography and soul.

info@SummerStage.org

(212) 360-2777

 Being a kid in the 80's I can't help it but like Paralamas (even if it is not your thing, they were huge in Brazil, so it may be interesting anyway)... being from Brasilia, I liked the Oscar Niemeyer movie a bunch... (though the format is not for everyone). 

80's Portuguese concert in NYC again!

Quick note for those in New York and interested in a pop-cultural experience. Gig Brazil is guys are having another 80's Brazilian Rock concert this Saturday at Sullivan Hall. I am not sure I'll be able to go this time (bummer), but last time I had such a great time! Check it out if you are up to some very different Portuguese practice this Saturday night!