Choro Ensemble

PEDRO RAMOS A composer, arranger, instrumentalist and bandleader, Pedro Ramos was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 1992 he attended the Musicians Institute at The Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT), in Los Angeles, CA. He graduated in classical composition in 2003 at the Brooklyn College, CUNY. He plays guitar, tenor guitar and cavaquinho (a cousin of the ukelele) and is a researcher in the history of Brazilian Choro music.

ANAT COHEN Originally from Tel Aviv, ANAT COHEN has traveled the world from Japan to Colombia, from Austria to Brazil, and is rapidly becoming a major force on the world music and jazz scene. Aside from her extraordinary instrumental abilities on soprano and tenor saxes, clarinet and flute, she has a natural ability to absorb the music of different cultures, process it and interpret it with her own special take. The winner of several prestigious awards, her playing has received accolades from reviewers like Jon Pareles, Nat Hentoff, Dan Morgenstern, and many more. She is an innovator who also understands and respects the value of preserving traditional musical forms. Hearing Anat today, it is clear that we will be hearing a lot about her in years to come.

ZÉ MAURÍCIO From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ZÉ MAURÍCIO has been living and playing in New York for the last 10 years. Zé is an original member of Cyro Baptista's: Beat the Donkey, a percussion ensemble performing in the U.S., Africa, and throughout Europe. He also performs with an eclectic blend of local bands as well as with Roots of Brazil, a Folkloric Brazilian music and dance company. Zé has worked with artists such as Naná Vasconcelos, Paquito D’Rivera, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Paul Winters and Romero Lubambo. Since 2003 Zé Maurício is a LP/RMV endorsed artist.

CARLOS ALMEIDA Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, Carlos Almeida studied Economics and is a self-taught 6 & 7 string acoustic Guitar and Cavaquinho player. Carlos has played with many of the biggest names in Brazilian Popular Music such as Beth Carvalho, Jorge Aragao, Joao Nogueira, Jair Rodrigues, Elza Soares, Alceu Maia, etc. In New York, Carlos is one of the founders of the most popular Brazilian band in America, Grupo Saveiro.

GUSTAVO DANTAS Gustavo Dantas was born in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In Brazil he played with groups such as Francis Drake and Vittor Santos Orchestra ranging in styles from Rock to Brazilian Pop and Traditional music. In 1990 he moved to Europe and played Brazilian music, Jazz, Reggae, African and Funk in Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Hungary with acts like Roots Godwana, Angus Bangus, Jon Sass, Eddie Cole. In 1999 Gustavo moved to New York and had recorded and performed with artists like Ogans, Essiet Essiet, Curtis Fowlkes, DK Dyson, Vernon Ried, Jorge Amorim, Jeff "Tain" Watts and many others.