ÁGUA DE MORINGA

In 34 years of activities, Água de Moringa has stood out for its versatility, interpreting from the classics of Brazilian popular music to the most recent contemporary production. Based on the traditional Choro repertoire - an urban instrumental genre born in the 19th century, based on Brazilian experiences in playing "hall music" that arrived from Europe (with polkas, schottisches and waltzes merging with lundus, modinhas and tangos brasileiros) - the group developed its own language by combining the informality of the style with a solid academic background.

 

'The' Água, as referred to by colleagues, friends and fans, is recognized for the quality of its arrangements and refinement in instrumental performance, while still exercising the spontaneity and balance that characterize the so-called 'regionais de choro' that combine the instruments of its tradition – mandolin, cavaquinho, clarinet, guitar, seven-string guitar and percussion – present, among others, in the practice of 'rodas de choro' (a kind of typical Brazilian jam session).

 

With ten albums produced throughout their career, among numerous participations in other events, and with the same formation since their first record, Água de Moringa took its members to festivals, workshops, masterclasses and presentations throughout the country, in addition to cities in France, Portugal and Colombia on several occasions. Both collectively and individually, the members of the sextet have an intense and outstanding pedagogical role and as instrumentalists, composers, arrangers, producers and researchers, being among the most sought after in the country in their areas of activity.

 

Their first CD (Água de Moringa - 1994) brought together works by masters Ernesto Nazareth, Radamés Gnattali and Pixinguinha with unusual authors in the choro repertoire such as Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, in a work that earned the group a nomination for the SHARP Award of Music. The second CD (Saracoteando - 1998), this one awarded with two SHARP Prize trophies - best group and best arranger (Josimar Carneiro) in the instrumental category - brought compositions by Canhoto da Paraíba, Jacob do Bandolim, Cristóvão Bastos, Guinga, Hermeto Pascoal and Guerra-Peixe.

 

The third album, As Inéditas de Pixinguinha, was the result of the analysis of a collection of songs attributed to the master of choro, of which fourteen were chosen for recording (out of 29 actually unpublished). The CD, released in 2002, led the group to be nominated for the TIM Brazilian Music Award and featured names such as Cristovão Bastos, Monarco, Martinho da Vila and Nei Lopes.

 

In 2005, the ensemble participated, playing and writing all the arrangements, in the CD by the Rio de Janeiro's composer Moacyr Luz, A Sedução Carioca do Poeta Brasileiro (Lua Discos) and still in that year was part of the cast of the 'Semana do Rio de Janeiro', at the Carreau du Temple in Paris, on the occasion of the Year of Brazil in France.

 

In 2009, the group released the CD entitled Obrigado Joel, in honor of the great master of choro and dear friend, the mandolin player Joel Nascimento, recording compositions by this renowned musician in completely original versions.

 

In 2013, Água de Moringa participates, at the crowded Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, in the commemorative concert of 10 years of the MPB & Jazz project, alongside the Petrobras Sinfônica Orchestra, Gal Costa and Wagner Tiso, performing symphonic arrangements specially written by their members for the occasion, with great success and repercussions.

 

In 2014, in celebration of its 25 years of history, a special concert was held which included songs dedicated to the group by big names in contemporary choro such as Maurício Carrilho, Afonso Machado, Paulo Aragão and Pedro Paes. Two years later (2016), Água de Moringa recorded the CD Festejo, with tunes by Brazilian composer Marcelo Menezes with special arrangements. In 2018, it was the turn to participate with exclusivity in the album Caderno Roubado by the Brazilian composer and pianist Carlos Fuchs and also fully in the CD Os Arcos – Paixão e Morte by the Brazilian singer Mariana Baltar, dedicated to the work of the composer Aldir Blanc, having been, both works released in 2019.

 

Still in 2019, the group also launched Água de Moringa 30 (commemorative of its 30 years of activities). Among the most recent performances, in 2022, the group was at the Choraço show at SESC 24 de Maio in São Paulo, at the August festivities in the city of Cabo Frio – RJ and at the first edition of the FINA Festival – Festival Instrumental Nacional, in São Luís – MA.

 

In May 2023, resuming a partnership that had already been set up approximately 20 years earlier, Água de Moringa participated in the series of concerts celebrating the 60th anniversary of Quinteto Villa Lobos, one of the most renowned Brazilian chamber group.