For 19 years, Choro das 3 was a family based band formed by the three sisters: Corina (flute and piccolo), Lia (7 string guitar), Elisa (mandolin, clarinet, banjo, piano and accordion) and their father Eduardo (pandeiro), who tragically lost his life for COVID-19 on June 11 of 2021.
In 2022, Choro das 3 was going to celebrate their 20th anniversary, but the sisters had never imagined that this date, that should be so full of joy, would arrive without the presence of the main person responsible for their success.
"Continuing without dad was so painful. For months I couldn't tolerate to listen to music, even less play it. We were extremely close knit and this rupture came too soon.
Our fan's love pulled us back to the surface. Seeing that we make a difference on people's daily lives brought us back." Corina
Everything started with a volunteer teacher. In Brazil schools don't have a music program and kids are not usually exposed to music in school. Corina was 7 years old, learning how to read and write in a public school in the town she was born, Porto Feliz.
"I was mesmerized to see him playing the keyboard. I loved to sing in the choir that Marco Leite was rehearsing with my class, but I realized I wanted to play an instrument." Corina
So, on the next year, Corina started on the recorder and Eduardo was very excited about it and bought a pandeiro to have fun with her at home playing some music together.
"I used to play with my folks at Senai (a technical high school). I played lots of samba and bossa nova and I met many good musicians playing in the São Paulo night. But choro is different... lots of breaks, it's fast... choro is another story! Very hard!" Eduardo
Corina ended up choosing the flute, thanks to an album by Altamiro Carrilho. The youngest sisters Lia e Elisa wanted to be part of that musical games and ended up choosing their instruments too. Lia chose the acoustic guitar (a 6 string back then) and Elisa asked on a little letter for Santa Claus a "bandolinho".
"Dad had all kinds of music available for us, from classical to rock. This album, Choros Imortais by Altamiro Carrilho, changed the story of our family." Corina
The idea wasn't about having a band. Never. The parents Eduardo and Cristina, just wanted that their daughters had a hobby, that they had fun playing music.
Knowing that São Paulo city has a variety of great Choro musicians, the family started to attend the weekly choro jams there, so the sisters could learn the style from the masters.
"It was so tiring. I don't know how we could do it. We would arrive in São Paulo betwerrn 9 and 10 am and would arrive at 2 or 3 am. During the week, the girls had to be in school at 7am and so did Dudu, at the company he used to work for.
I think that we were so happy and the girls were learning so much that we couldn't notice how hard it was. ". Cristina, mother.
On these jam sessions in São Paulo, the family started to be noticed. It wasn't common to see a family, specially with three little girls in those environments. This music was mainly played by older men.
Invitations for TV and Radio shows started to pop up and their first concert was booked by the United States Consulate in São Paulo.
The family chose the name "Balaio de Gato" (something like a Basket of Cats), that later became "Choro das 3" before they released their first album, Meu Brasil Brasileiro.
Meu Brasil Brasileiro was released by Som Livre, a major label in 2008. It took Choro das 3 to the most prestigious TV shows in Brazil and gave them the award of Best Group of the Year, by the São Paulo Critics Association.
"It was such a special moment in our lives. To be recognized by the audience and the critics right when we were starting! We were very happy." Lia
Choro das 3 hasn't stopped since than. partir daí o Choro das 3 não parou mais. They've released 11 albums, had 8 international tours and their audience on the internet grows and grows.
"Going abroad showed us how our music is loved out there. It also opened my eyes to the importance of the mandolin. Here in Brazil, people don't really know what a mandolin is. In other countries it is a beloved instrument." Elisa
Durante the pandemic, Choro das 3 decided to stream their livefeeds weekly, instead of monthly like they used to do. It was a good shot, and theit weekly show on youtube has hundreds of weekly viewers even after the pandemics.
You can watch them every Thursday on their Youtube Channel at 9 PM (São Paulo Time)
