Last Saturday, September 30th, I had the opportunity to share a little bit of my Brazilian Culture at the University of Kansas. Phi Beta Delta hosted this wonderful concert in which students from many nationalities shared music and/or dance from their heritage.

I took the chance to introduce and share this history behind the history behind the Craviola, this amazing Brazilian instrument. It was created by Paulinho Nogueira, who wanted to produce a sound that would be the combination of the “viola caipira” (a 10-string traditional Brazilian guitar) and a harpsichord (which is Portuguese is called “cravo”), hence the name Craviola. It is larger than a traditional guitar, it has 12-strings and a asymmetric body. The sound is definitely much more complete and full than a guitar, even than a 12-string guitar. Its first international appearance was quite noticeable, featured in the Led Zeppelin song “Tangerine.” Definitely something to look into, I love the challenge of playing it and the history behind it.