“Trovadoras is a celebration of the excellent quality of composition and songwriting by Latin American women despite all challenges they faced in highly patriarchal societies,” says Pires. “It’s about giving credit to important artists that remained in the shadows of their male counterparts for so much of our history.”

Canto Vivo’s third annual concert, TROVADORAS: A Celebration of Women Songwriters of Latin America, will be held on June 7 at the Rio Theatre.

More than music

With Trovadoras, Pires aims to honour Latin American culture not only through language but also through musical instrumentation. Unlike traditional choirs, Canto Vivo utilizes a vibrant range of accompaniment, from the classic piano to the soulful charango.

“Canto Vivo is different from most choirs in the sense that we don’t only use piano to accompany the choir arrangements but also guitars, cuatro, charango and many different percussion instruments of Latin American origin,” explains Pires.

Trovadoras will also borrow the recognizable rhythms of Latin American music – such as from bolero, tango, samba and more – to shine alongside the choir. Compositions from renowned female songwriters such as Chiquinha Gonzaga and Consuelo Velázquez will be featured, along with guest singers Sheila Minatti and Caro Selva. Pires is incredibly excited to perform with them.

“Our choir has always included songs by women songwriters, and we always wanted to hold a concert dedicated to them,” he says. “It was very rewarding to dive into the lives and work of dozens of Latin American women composers and songwriters in the process of selecting the music for this performance.”

Alto-gether now

For Pires, music has always been a big part of his life. Growing up, he was inspired by both his father, a violin player who listened to classical music, and his mother, who sang along to Brazilian popular music. This interest continued in his adolescence.

“As a teenager, I started playing guitar, singing and composing,” shares Pires. “Then, I became a member of a choir at nineteen and never looked back.”

Pires’ love of music grew through his education, as he completed his doctoral degree in Musical Arts and Choral Conducting at Boston University. He was also a professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. And in 2017, his longtime dream of sharing his culture through music was realized, marking the inception of Canto Vivo.

“As someone passionate about Latin American pop music, I had always wanted to have a choir dedicated to this repertoire,” says Pires. “When I presented the idea to VLACC, they got on board and made it happen.”

Since then, Canto Vivo has welcomed members from 24 different countries around the world, serenading audiences for nearly a decade. Pires also adds that Canto Vivo has become a close group of friends, dedicated to sharing and celebrating music across the continent.

“Our choir has become the most lovely community that comes together every Wednesday night to enjoy music and friendship,” he says.

When shaping performances such as Trovadoras, Pires was especially grateful to have this community by his side.

“It was extremely rewarding to exchange ideas with the choir members, guest singers and musicians,” he shares. “It truly felt like a communal effort to find the right selection in a huge universe of possibilities.”

Trovadoras is an invitation for all to celebrate Latin American music and the women who helped shape it.

“I hope you can come watch us and discover or expand your experience with the amazing universe created by Latin American women songwriters,” says Pires.

For more information, see https://vlacc.ca/events/canto-vivo-in-concert-trovadoras-a-celebration-of-women-songwriters-of-latin-america