Vancouver Folk Music Festival

July 14 to 16, 2023

Cláudio Rabeca Quartet with special guest Serena Eades | Brazil & BC

Brazil has often been described as a continent rather than a country and in music this is certainly true. From the cowboy songs of the south to the samba schools of Rio to the rich cultures of the north-east, there are almost limitless genres of music that are uniquely Brazilian.

Cláudio Rabeca plays one of these, Forró, a north eastern style that has become popular all over Brazil. More accurately, he plays his own Forró-based compositions.  A master violinist, teacher, composer and instrument builder born in Natal and currently based in Recife, Rabeca takes his name from the instrument he plays – the rabeca – a Portuguese violin that is the descendent of the medieval rebec. It is a vital component of forró, a popular style once described as “music for taxi drivers and maids.”

At this year’s festival, Rabeca will be joined by BC virtuoso violinist Serena Eades. Serena, a graduate of the legendary Berklee College of Music, is the director of her own music academy as well as performing with the legendary Delhi 2 Dublin.

With two exceptional players and a rare repertoire, the musical possibilities of this collaboration are endless.