1. Pixinguinha is known for his contributions to Brazilian popular music and for his role in the development of choro, a genre of Brazilian music that blends Afro-Brazilian rhythms with European influences.
18 Facts About Pixinguinha
1. 2.
Pixinguinha merged the traditional music of 19th-century composers with modern jazz-inspired harmonies, sophisticated arrangements, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms.
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Pixinguinha was among the first Brazilian musicians to embrace radio broadcasting and studio recording, technologies that played a key role in bringing his music to a broader audience.
4.
Pixinguinha was born to musician Alfredo da Rocha Viana, a flutist with an extensive collection of choro music scores and regularly hosted musical gatherings in his house.
5.
In 1912, Pixinguinha began performing in cabarets and theatrical revues in Rio de Janeiro's Lapa district.
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Pixinguinha later became a flutist for the house orchestra at the Cine Rio Branco movie theater, where live music accompanied silent films.
7.
Os Oito Batutas and Pixinguinha's music provoked controversy about race and the influence of Europe and the United States on Brazilian music.
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Pixinguinha began to incorporate jazz standards and ragtime music into his band's repertoire, changing the lineup dramatically by adding saxophones, trumpets, trombones, piano, and a drum kit.
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However, the growing demand for radio music played by large ensembles required sheets to be written for every instrument, which was something Pixinguinha could make happen.
10.
Pixinguinha left Orquestra Victor Brasileira to join flautist Benedito Lacerda's band, where he played the tenor saxophone as his primary instrument and continued to compose music.
11.
Pixinguinha played supporting parts on the saxophone for the recordings with Lacerda.
12.
Pixinguinha spent his last years in retirement, appearing in public only on rare occasions.
13.
Pixinguinha died on February 17,1973, in the Church of Nossa Senhora da Paz in Ipanema while attending a baptism.
14.
Pixinguinha is depicted in the 2021 biographical film Pixinguinha, Um Homem Carinhoso.
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Pixinguinha's compositions are critically acclaimed for their sophisticated use of harmony, rhythm, and counterpoint.
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Pixinguinha was one of the first band leaders to regularly include several Afro-Brazilian percussion instruments, such as the pandeiro and afoxe, that have now become standard in choro and samba music.
17.
Pixinguinha's arrangements were likely influenced by the sounds of ragtime and the American jazz bands that became popular early in his career.
18.
When he released "Lamentos" in 1928 and "Carinhoso" in 1930, Pixinguinha was criticized for incorporating too many jazz elements into his compositions.