Here is a beautiful “CHORO NEGRO” composed by Paulinho da Viola and Fernando Costa (whose photo I couldn’t find, unfortunately) and arranged for guitar by Ivan Paschoito and Edmar Fenicio. Choro Negro was written in 1972 and recorded for the first time in 1973, played by Paulinho on the Cavaquinho accompanied by piano, only. Unusual ensemble for playing the choro. The title, Choro Negro (Black Choro), refers to the African roots of Brazilian and Latin American music. It is always interesting to know how an arrangement is made by two arrangers. This Choro was arranged by two greatest arrangers and transcribers living in the same city and being good friends for many years. This is what Ivan told me: “We wrote it in 1994. At that time there was not any sheet music of this piece available. One day, a manuscript supposedly written by Paulinho himself fell into our hands, which was the basis of our arrangement. I started, chose the key, wrote the first guitar version and sent it to Fenício. He then gave his master touch, enhancing the music with such beautiful and original chords and turning it into the version you have in hands. Today many play this piece on the guitar, but I believe this arrangement of ours is among the first to be written for the guitar”.
