Ted Falcon

When people think of Brazilian music, the first thing that comes to mind is bossa nova. But TED FALCON, a jazz violinist, mandolinist and composer, fell in love with a different style of Brazilian music called “choro.” Although the word choro (pronounced shoru) means "cry" or "lament," the music is vibrant and cheerful. Considered the first urban popular music in Brazil, choro was born in 19th century Rio de Janeiro. It is an instrumental music that combines elements of European classical music with African rhythms. Falcon not only became a devotee of the music, but he also pushed its musical boundaries. Falcon introduced the violin to the mix of traditional choro instruments and has become the premier choro violinist in the world. He has performed with some of the most renowned names in Brazilian instrumental music, including Hermeto Pascoal, Gilberto Gil, Armandinho Macedo, Dominguinhos, and Hamilton de Holanda. TÔ CHEGANDO is his 11th album. The phrase “Tô Chegando” means "almost there" or “I’m arriving” in English. Falcon explains, “Here in the U.S., we say “I'm almost there” when we are literally close or a few minutes away. I learned that when a Brazilian says "Tô chegando,” you just never know how long it will take. It could be an hour or more. It just means that they intend to arrive eventually. I thought this was a very funny cultural difference.”