Artists

Sergio Krakowski

The good folks at pandeiro.com start their own profile of Sergio with this:

Sergio Krakowski is an internationally renowned pandeiro player with outstanding online video courses for panderio. Sergio’s connection to the pandeiro started quite early when he was only 13 years old. He learnt a very simple version of the samba groove with his brother. After listening to the music of two pandeiro players, Jorginho do Pandeiro and Marcos Suzano, they became his main reference. Listening to Suzano and getting in touch with a few students of his was the first step towards his becoming a pandeiro player himself.

We encourage you to take note of two things from the above. One, that Sergio is an experienced teacher—something we cannot, alas, say of all excellent performers. And second, we invite you to learn a little—if you don’t already know a lot—about the two pandeiro players referenced as Sergio’s biggest influences. One (Jorginho) is perhaps the primary reference for what today would pass for “traditional” choro accompaniment on pandeiro. The other (Suzano) is best known as a contemporary innovator. That pretty much sums up Sergio’s musical journey: rooted in tradition; driven to explore and innovate.

For those who want to know more of that journey, a simple internet search of Sergio Krakowski will lead you from Brazil to the US, from MPB to free jazz, from acoustic to computer-generated music.  Boa viagem! For those who are content with a sampling of Sergio’s work in the realm of choro, here’s one of many possible selections—with Anat Cohen’s, Choro Aventuroso.