Biography
Formed in 1989 by musicians affiliated with Rio de Janeiro’s State University (Uni-Rio), the instrumental choro ensemble Água de Moringa quickly established itself as an inventive, rigorously trained unit that secured a lasting role in updating the genre. Seasoned sidemen for traditional sambistas, the players merge deep command of vernacular styles with formal classical training, forging a distinctly Brazilian renewal of choro by channeling the sensibilities of composers and arrangers such as Radamés Gnattali and Guerra Peixe through both classic works by Pixinguinha and contemporary pieces by Caetano Veloso, Guinga, and Hermeto Pascoal. Their self-titled debut album appeared in 1994 across European, Asian, and North American markets and earned a Sharp Prize nomination for Best Instrumental Group. The following year the group played Paris, then Lisbon in 1997. Their 1998 follow-up release captured two Sharp Prizes—one for Best Instrumental Group, the other for Best Arranger (Josimar Carneiro). The Saracoteando concert at Rio de Janeiro’s Cecília Meirelles Hall featured guests Cristovão Bastos and Carlos Malta, while São Paulo appearances placed the ensemble alongside Laércio de Freitas, Quinteto Villa-Lobos, and Cristovão Bastos once more. Across their career Água de Moringa has balanced independent projects with collaborations involving Délcio Carvalho, Walter Alfaiate, Wilson Moreira, Beth Carvalho, Ivone Lara, Paulo Moura, Joel Nascimento, and Altamiro Carrilho.
Albums
