Rabo de Lagartixa

A choro group formed in Rio de Janeiro in the 1990s by Daniela Spielmann (soprano and alto saxes), Alessandro Valente (cavaquinho), Marcello Gonçalves (seven-string guitar), and Alexandre Brasil (acoustic/electric basses), the Rabo De Lagartixa launched its first album in 1998 with the participation of Elza Soares and Pedro Luís e a Parede. The album launched several choro originals and other previously unpublished songs such as "Carrapato" (João Lyra/Paulo César Pinheiro). The group, which mixes several contemporary rhythmic styles with a somewhat jazzy approach to the improvs, draws its name from the regenerative feature of the gecko's tail, hinting at choro's survival in spite of the lack of commercial interest from recording companies and other potential promoters of the genre. Having performed around Brazil, a show at the Clube do Choro in Brasília (Federal District) deserves mention and in 2000; the Rabo participated in the Samba e Choro project at the Paço Imperial (Rio de Janeiro), when the double-CD 1O Compasso/Samba e Choro was recorded. ~ Alvaro Neder, All Music Guide