Brazilian Musical Styles - Fernando Brando

Assignment 1 - Quiz about the first 300 years and choro

I. READING - Materials related to Modinha, Lundu and Choro
II. Sentences below might contain one or more incorrect statements. Indicate what is incorrect on the blank
spaces.
1. 1. How can you best describe Brazilian population and its ethnic composition?

2. Tell me about (and justify it) the main contributions to Brazilian music by native Indians?

3. Tell me about (and justify it) the main contributions to Brazilian music by Africans?

4. Tell me about (and justify it) the main contributions to Brazilian music by Europeans?

5. What is modinha, its musical and lyrics characteristics, and how it evolved in Brazil?

6. What is lundu, its musical and lyrics characteristics, and how it evolved in Brazil?

7. What musical and poetic elements made the Brazilian modinhas and lundus different from the Portuguese
modinhas?

III. The Portuguese (P) tried to catechize the Indians (I) through the work of Jesuits. Soon after they arrived in
Brazil they start bringing enslaved Africans (A) to work in Brazil. Identify these groups - (P), (I) or (A) according to their musical influences and contributions to Brazilian music on the options below. You might use
more than one letter if the contribution is common to more than one group (for example: P/A).
(
(
(
(

)
)
)
)

Improvised singing with fixed refrain

Scales with flat 7th
Syncopated rhythms and Polyrhythms
Percussion instruments

(
(
(
(

)
)
)
)

Few percussion instruments only

Music teaching and harmonic system
Orchestral and operatic music
Sensual dances

Brazilian Musical Styles - Fernando Brando

Assignment 1 - Quiz about the first 300 years and choro
IV. Fill blank spaces.
1. ___________ and ___________ are generally considered two of the first musical styles that is authentically
Brazilian.
2. In the 19th century the ___________________ was influenced by European dances and resulted in the later
popular Brazilian dance called samba.
3. The choro can be described as a fusion of the European __________ and the African ______________.
4. The massive presence of European popular music in Brazil - polkas, schottisches, waltzes and mazurkas was in great part due to the arrival of ______________, from Portugal, who brought more than 15.000
people with him in the beginning of the 19th century.
VI. True or false? If false, circle and explain what is wrong on blank spaces.
( ) The choro can be considered as the way street musicians start to interpret Europeans music played in the
houses of the wealthy.
(

In the 19th century the piano has influenced Brazilian popular music only with European classical music.

( ) In their respective origins, many of the choro players were from the upper class, while samba players,
singers and composers were mostly middle class.
(

The choro repertoire is a balanced mix of instrumental and vocal tunes.

VII. Questions:
1.

What is the traditional instrumentation of choro?

2.

What are the roles of each instrument?

3.

Which are the most common melodic instruments?

5. Describe the musical characteristics of the choro style.