Água de Moringa

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years active

1989–presente

Genres

choro, instrumental, brazilian popular music

Instruments

clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, mandolin, tenor guitar, bandocello, cavaquinho, acoustic guitar, 7-string acoustic guitar, percussion, drums

Biography

The Água de Moringa group is an instrumental choro ensemble, formed in 1989 at the University of Rio de Janeiro (Uni-Rio). With a trajectory of over three decades, the group stands out for its versatility in interpreting everything from Brazilian popular music classics to contemporary productions, always with its own musical language that unites the informality of choro with a solid academic training. Its foundation is the traditional repertoire of choro, an instrumental genre that emerged in the late 19th century in Rio de Janeiro, the result of the fusion of European rhythms such as the polka and waltzes with Brazilian elements such as lundus, maxixes and modinhas.

Throughout its career, Água de Moringa has released ten albums, including "Água de Moringa" (1994), "Saracoteando" (1998) – which earned the group two Sharp awards –, "As Inéditas de Pixinguinha" (2002), and more recent works such as "Água de Moringa 30" (2019). The group has performed at festivals, workshops and masterclasses all over Brazil, in addition to having toured cities in France, Portugal and Colombia. Its instrumental lineup is composed of Rui Alvim (clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophones), Marcílio Lopes (mandolin, tenor guitar, bandocello), Jayme Vignoli (cavaquinho), Luiz Flávio Alcofra (acoustic guitar), Josimar Gomes Carneiro (7-string acoustic guitar) and André Boxexa (percussion and drums).

The members of the sextet have an intense and prominent pedagogical activity, in addition to being in demand as instrumentalists, composers, arrangers, producers and researchers. The group has collaborated with several artists and participated in special projects, such as the recording of the CD "A Sedução Carioca do Poeta Brasileiro" with Moacyr Luz in 2005, and participation in the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Quinteto Villa-Lobos in 2023. Água de Moringa is recognized for the quality of its arrangements, refinement in instrumental performance and for the spontaneity that characterizes "rodas de choro".