The Pernambuco Quartet owes its creation to luck, chance, and passion, when four musicians emblematic of their culture came together around the rich traditions of the Pernambuco region – a unique alchemy of poetry, rhythms, and music. Outside Brazil, the carnivals of Bahia and Rio are the best known, but the carnival of Recife (one of Brazil's oldest cities, founded in 1537), capital of the state of Pernambuco (Nordeste region), emanates a very special charm, characterised by a generous musical and artistic variety: frevo (carnival music and dance), maracatu (music, dance, and procession against a backdrop of Afro-Brazilian worship), caboclinhos (dramatic music and dance linked to indigenous traditions), and so on. This first album by the Pernambuco Quartet is a magnificent journey through the music of Pernambuco, from the quays of Recife to the sertão, from the city to the arid hinterland, carried by the voice of Antônio Marinho, the flute of César Michiles, the guitar of Breno Lira, the percussion of Lucas dos Prazeres, and their shared inspiration.
