Vanille Goovaerts and Ricardo Herz launch an album reconnecting violin and rabeca as roots of a shared Brazilian sound identity. Free show at Sesc Consolação.
A false separation that lasted centuries
The Brazilian popular violin and the rabeca are, historically, the same instrument. When the Portuguese brought the violin to Brazil during the colonial period, it was called rabeca throughout the country. As urbanization advanced in the 20th century, an artificial divide emerged: the violin became associated with classical music in major cities, while the rabeca was pushed to rural and peripheral regions — often treated as a lesser instrument.
The album “Arcos Brasileiros” (Brazilian Bows), by Vanille Goovaerts and Ricardo Herz, sets out to dismantle that false divide. The release show is scheduled for April 7, 2026, at 7 PM, at Sesc Consolação in São Paulo, as part of the Instrumental Sesc Brasil program. The album features an original, previously unreleased repertoire spanning xote, baião, maracatu, frevo, chamamé, forró, samba, choro, and marchinha, among other genres.
Two worlds, one sonic family tree
The project reimagines the violin’s role in popular music — making it more rhythmic, harmonic, and conversational. At the same time, it places the rabeca at the center of a broader cultural conversation, honoring its central role in traditions like maracatu, bumba meu boi, and forró pé de serra.
The violin was once called rabeca everywhere in Brazil. With 20th-century urbanization and the elitization of nomenclature, a false split was created between violin (erudite) and rabeca (popular). “Arcos Brasileiros” reintegrates these narratives. — Ricardo Herz
For Vanille Goovaerts, the project also serves a visibility function: “The rabeca, despite its historical importance, is still little known outside traditional circles. This project puts it in the spotlight, celebrating its unique sound.”
Four products, one pedagogical legacy
Beyond the audio album, the project will deliver a playback version with separated tracks for pedagogical use — accessible to musicians who don’t read sheet music or who have visual impairments. A PDF edition of the scores will also be available for academic circulation, alongside an audiovisual record of the creative process that highlights the bodily expressiveness and gesture intrinsic to popular music performance. All content will be distributed entirely online.
The initiative addresses a real gap in music education. Social string programs across Brazil have trained thousands of young violinists, yet there remains a shortage of repertoire and teaching methods rooted in Brazilian musical culture. This project contributes directly to closing that gap.
The artists
Vanille Goovaerts is a French violinist trained in jazz at the Conservatoire de Chambéry. She fell in love with the rabeca and forró in 2018 and began an intensive research journey through Brazil’s Northeast and São Paulo. She studied with masters including Luiz Paixão, Cláudio Rabeca, and Aglaia Costa. Based in Brazil since 2019, she performs with Ronco do Violino, Xaxado Novo, Forró das Minas, Octeta, and Ensemble Choro Erudito.
Ricardo Herz is one of the most important names in Brazilian popular violin. Winner of the 2021 Profissionais da Música Award in both “Instrumental Artist” and “Instrumental Music Composer” categories, he holds degrees from USP, Berklee College of Music, and the Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood. With 10 albums released and duets with Yamandú Costa and Nelson Ayres, Herz is also a pioneer in online education for Brazilian popular violin. His latest album, Sonhando o Brasil, was released in 2024.
Tracklist
- Maracatúngaro – Ricardo Herz
- Seu Domingos – Ricardo Herz
- Gira Gira – Ricardo Herz
- Boinas, Bigodes e Guarda Chuvas – Ricardo Herz
- Chamaoquê? – Ricardo Herz
- Odéon – Ernesto Nazareth
- Mourinho(s) – Ricardo Herz
- O Revoar da Saudade – Ricardo Herz
- Noites Pernambucanas – Vanille Goovaerts
- Boi – Ricardo Herz
- Borboleta – Vanille Goovaerts
- Inocente – Ricardo Herz
- Forró Colorido – Vanille Goovaerts
- Minhoca – Ricardo Herz
- Salve Mestres – Vanille Goovaerts
- Segura – Ricardo Herz
- Capoeira – Ricardo Herz
Event Info
- Event: “Arcos Brasileiros” album launch
- Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
- Time: 7 PM
- Venue: Sesc Consolação – Rua Dr. Vila Nova, 245 – Vila Buarque, São Paulo
- Program: Instrumental Sesc Brasil
- Admission: Free
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