João Dias

João Dias stood at the forefront of efforts to bring Pernambuco’s choro tradition to Rio de Janeiro audiences. That northeastern style had evolved alongside its Carioca counterpart, yet it carried distinct traits, most notably regional ensembles customarily headed by violonistas rather than the flutists and mandolinists who typically led groups in Rio. After an introduction to Jacob do Bandolim, Dias began mailing him regular recordings of Pernambuco chorões. In October 1959 he packed his car with leading northeastern figures and set out for the southeast: his wife Dona Ceça (Conceição Dias, an outstanding violonista), fellow violonista Zé do Carmo accompanied by his spouse, mandolinist Rossini Ferreira, and violonista Canhoto da Paraíba. The five-day drive proved grueling, but each night’s halt produced a roda de choro that lingered in memory in the towns they visited, among them Feira de Santana, Governador Valadares, and Macaé. Their arrival at Jacob do Bandolim’s home was met with an expansive welcoming roda de choro attended by many of Rio’s finest chorões. The occasion marked the start of the Pernambucan musicians’ work on Rio radio and for recording companies, while also initiating a sustained exchange of influences between the two regional schools that proved vital to the genre’s continued development.