Panorama do Choro

Choro contemporâneo (contemporary choro) is the modern evolution of Brazil’s foundational instrumental popular genre, choro. It preserves the genre’s rigorous counterpoint, virtuosic melodic lines, and buoyant dance-derived grooves, while expanding harmony, form, and instrumentation with ideas from jazz, MPB, and contemporary classical music. Typical ensembles still feature bandolim (mandolin), flute or clarinet, cavaquinho, 6- and 7‑string guitars, and pandeiro; but modern groups frequently add saxophones, piano, percussion set, and even chamber instruments. The result is a conversational, highly rhythmic music that balances tradition with exploratory reharmonization, metric play, and extended improvisation.