Nó em Pingo D’Água was formed in 1978 and features 5 musicians Celsinho Silva on percussion, Mario Seve on saxophone and flute; Papito on bass; Rodrigo Lessa on bandolim and steel guitar; and Rogerio Souza on guitar.
The group was a pioneer in developing the style of music that is known today as “choro novo” – innovative interpretations of traditional Brazilian instrumental music. They’ve been credited in part for awakening a tremendous enthusiasm among young people for this style of music, which today is wildly popular in clubs, concert halls, and the hot nightspots of Rio.
Their music is the result of many influences, converging in the heart of Rio de Janeiro: Afro-Brazilian rhythms and percussion, typical Brazilian instrumentation, European classical influences, a bit of samba and a dash of jazz.
The group’s name “Nó em Pingo D’Água” literally translated is “a knot in a drop of water” – but as the expression implies, the meaning is more like “something extremely difficult to achieve”.
The year 2003 marked their first tour in the United States, made possible with the joint support of Brazil’s Ministry of Culture and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
Discography:
Salvador (Visom, 1988)
Receita De Samba (Visom, 1991)
Nó na Garganta (Rob Digital, 1999)
Interpreta Paulinho da Viola (Rob Digital, 2003)
Sambantologia (Biscoito Fino, 2016)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
