Pixinguinha
Pixinguinha | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho |
| Also known as | Pizinguim, Bexiguinha, Pexinguinha, Pixinguinha |
| Born | May 4, 1897 |
| Origin | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Died | February 17, 1973 (aged 75) |
| Genres | Choro, Maxixe, Samba, Waltz, Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, composer, arranger, instrumentalist |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, flute |
| Years active | 1911–1973 |
| Website | pixinguinha |
Alfredo da Rocha Viana Filho (May 4, 1897 – February 17, 1973), better known as Pixinguinha, (Portuguese: [piʃĩˈɡiɲɐ]) was a Brazilian composer, arranger, flutist, and saxophonist born in Rio de Janeiro. He worked with Brazilian popular music and developed the choro, a genre of Brazilian music that blends Afro-Brazilian rhythms with European influences. Some of his compositions include "Carinhoso", "Glória", "Lamento", and "Um a Zero".
Pixinguinha merged the traditional music of 19th-century composers with modern jazz-inspired harmonies, sophisticated arrangements, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms. This is attributed as having helped establish choro as an aspect of Brazilian culture.
Pixinguinha was among the first Brazilian musicians to embrace radio broadcasting and studio recording, technologies that played a key role in bringing his music to a broader audience.