Brejeiro

Brejeiro is a composition by Brazilian pianist and composer Ernesto Nazareth, first published in 1893. It was Nazareth's first tango brasileiro and became one of the greatest successes of his career.

The piece combines European musical forms with the syncopated rhythms and melodic language of late 19th-century Brazilian popular music. Brejeiro later became internationally known and was published and recorded in the United States and Europe.

Musical character:
Brejeiro is lively, playful and strongly syncopated, with an elegant melody set against an energetic Brazilian rhythmic pulse. Its rhythmic character and harmonic movement also connect it closely with the musical world from which choro developed.

Connection to Manouche jazz:
There is no known recording of Brejeiro by Django Reinhardt. However, its strong rhythm, chromatic harmony and lively melodic lines make it well suited to string-based jazz arrangements. Brazilian choro and Manouche jazz developed as separate traditions, but their combination of virtuosity, improvisation and acoustic string instruments has inspired modern crossover interpretations.