Rabo de Lagartixa

Years active

1993

Genres

choro, samba, mpb

Instruments

saxophone, cavaquinho, 7-string guitar, double bass, percussion

Biography

The group Rabo de Lagartixa is an instrumental choro ensemble formed in 1993. The band consists of Daniela Spielmann (soprano and alto saxophone), Alessandro Valente (cavaquinho), Jayme Vignoli (cavaquinho), Marcello Gonçalves (7-string acoustic guitar), Alexandre Brasil (acoustic and electric double bass), and Beto Cazes (percussion). The group emerged with the proposal to record educational concerts by maestro Heitor Villa-Lobos for the museum that bears his name, in 1992.

Rabo de Lagartixa's first album, titled "Quebra-queixo", was released in 1998, after five years of collaboration with the Villa-Lobos Museum. The album featured special guest appearances by Elza Soares on the track "Formosa", by Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes, as well as Pedro Luís e a Parede. In 2002, the group performed six shows in the United States at the invitation of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, including an appearance at the "World Music" festival in Chicago and a workshop in New York.

The group's repertoire covers original compositions and classics of choro and samba, with arrangements that highlight the importance of all instruments. In 2009, Rabo de Lagartixa revisited Villa-Lobos's repertoire to record their second album, "O papagaio do moleque". The ensemble is recognized for its energy and for being one of the exponents of the neo-choro movement, updating the tradition of Brazilian choro with a vibrant and innovative sound.