Trio Madeira Brasil approaches the choro genre with an emphasis on virtuosic execution, harmonic depth, and melodic sophistication, drawing directly from the example set by Camerata Carioca and the instructional legacy of Radamés Gnattali. The ensemble deliberately incorporates elements of classical music into its presentations, a choice underscored by the deliberate omission of the pandeiro and any comparable percussion instruments from its lineup, while still maintaining close ties to longstanding Brazilian musical practices. Its membership consists of mandolinist Ronaldo do Bandolim, previously associated with Época de Ouro and widely regarded as the foremost interpreter of Ernesto Nazareth; the classically trained José Paulo Becker on violão, or acoustic guitar; and Marcello Gonçalves on seven-string guitar. In 1998 the trio issued its debut recording, Trio Madeira Brasil, featuring works by Ernesto Nazareth and Jacob do Bandolim alongside pieces from more recent figures including Edú Lobo, Egberto Gismonti, and Chico Buarque. That release earned two nominations at the 1998 Sharp prize, one for Best Group and another for Best Album. The following year the musicians appeared at the Free Jazz Festival, and in 2001 they took part in a wide-ranging survey of choro presented at Rio’s CCBB (Banco do Brasil Culture Center), an event that also featured practitioners from Brasília, São Paulo, the Northeast, and Rio itself.
