Finding its roots in 1980s Rio de Janeiro, pagode features a single singer, with the instrumental harmony usually provided by stringed instruments related to the guitar -- the cavaquinho and the violo -- and the hand drum known as the pandeiro. Along with samba and bossa nova, pagode completes the trio of Brazilian music genres performed by Saboroso, a Madison-based septet that plays both classic and original tunes.
Named after the Portuguese word for "tasty," the group focuses on the three classic Brazilian genres, complete with appropriate instrumentation and bateria percussion. The rest of the members are Kelly Mella (vocals, percussion), founder John Driscoll (drums, percussion), Bob Beavrson (guitars, percussion), Bryan Elliott (sax, percussion), Matthew Olsen (bass, percussion), Mike Fienen (percussion), Bruce Root (percussion), and regular guest Scott Stenton (guitar, percussion); together they form something of a Madison supergroup, boasting former members of bands like the Prole, Smokin with Superman, Kweku Ananse, Lorenzo's Music, Pleasure, and Jazz in the Box.
Back in August, seven members of Saboroso assembled on the shores of Lake Monona to shoot a pair of music videos, featuring performances of pagode classics, a view of what they describe as their "gentler" side. The videos -- starting with a performance of "Malandro" -- follow below.
The second video features a performance of "Via Saudade," another classic from the pagode side of samba. More music by Saboroso is available for listening on their MySpace page.
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