Esquina de São Paulo

Latin Grammy-nominated classical guitarist João Luiz and composer and mandolin player Danilo Brito have shared a friendship for nearly 20 years. It’s based on a mutual love of choro – their native Brazil’s popular urban music, with its roots in jazz and blues, that originated in 19th century Rio de Janeiro.

Meaning ‘lament,’ the mix of Portuguese influences and African rhythms has come to be regarded as one of the definitive cultural styles of Brazil. The nine tunes on this, the pair’s first joint release on the Zoho label, masterfully evoke a bittersweet sense of longing for place and time. ‘Despertar da Montanha’, an elegant composition by Eduardo Souto which is part Brazilian tango, part fado-choro, tugs the heartstrings remorselessly. And while ‘Feia’, a waltz first recorded by its composer Jacob do Bandolim in 1948, may take for its name the Portuguese word for ‘Ugly,’ in the hands of these two skilful musicians, it’s a thing of uplifting beauty. The title-track is a valsa de esquina (street corner waltz) that conveys a glorious image of these two virtuosos busking on a sunkissed São Paulo pavement, and loving every single minute of it.