01 & 02/ 07 Spokfrevo Orchestra in London

01 Jul, 2013

LIVE MUSIC Spokfrevo Orchestra @ Ronnie Scotts (47 Frith Street, W1D 4HT)  www.ronniescotts.co.uk 020 7439 0747 The prices varies £25 until £40
 
Recife’s most amazing big band beats time to the rhythm of the carnivals of North-East Brazil
Launched in December 2004 and funded by Funcultura/State of Pernambuco (Brazil), SpokFrevo Orquestra’s first album, “Passo de Anjo” (Via Som Records), was considered by indutry critics the beginning of a new era in the history of frevo.

The 22-piece Spok Frevo Orchestra, enhance traditional frevos with blistering new arrangements and opening spaces for jazzy solos and improvisations. They’ve also added electric guitars and the forró-associated accordion to the nimble-fingered, frenzied rhythms of trumpets, piccolos, clarinets, trombones and saxophones – an intoxicating blend.

The Frevo is, outside Brazil, one of the least-known of its dance rhythms. It’s also, quite possibly, the most infectious. Frevo comes from the Portuguese word ferver (to boil) and is a kind of super-charged Polka and has its own umbrella-wielding dance. Frevo has been recently recognised by UNESCO and is inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity .

The orchestra proposes to give frevo a different treatment with modern arrangements and refined harmonies.  The musicians exploit the freedom of expression in improvisations with clear influences from jazz.

“Frevo is a unique rhythm, different from all others, cheerful and with a special magic: the one to transmit happiness,” Spok explains.