The Cavaquinho is a small string instrument (like the ukulele) of the European guitar family with four wires or gut strings. This instrument first went to Madeira (in 1854, to become the braguinha) and then on to Hawaii (in 1879) to become the ukulele.

Presented by Partners of the Americas – District of Columbia Chapter

A cultural exchange
One of the highlights of former DC Partners President Maricy Schmitz’s Education and Cultural Program in Brasília in November 2019 was visiting Associação Waldir Azevedo to learn about the actions of the organization and have a private concert featuring musician Dudu Oliveira and two adolescents who played cavaquinho – Meninos do Cavaquinho. Maricy wanted to show the amazing talent of the Meninos to the Partners community and have them meet Pablo Regis de Oliveira, a fantastic cavaquinho player who lives in Washington, DC. This is how this concert was envisioned – a cultural exchange to connect people from the Americas and to bring inspirational moments to all!

Pablo Regis de Oliveira

Pablo Regis de Oliveira is a Brazilian, Peruvian and American musician who grew up in the world of Brazilian music in Los Angeles and Brasília. He plays cavaquinho and percussion. He has also worked as a music and artistic producer in Washington, DC and Maryland since 2005. With dancer Kate Spanos, Pablo founded EducArte, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote Brazilian music and culture, support local and international artists, and encourage creativity and artistic expression of all individuals.


Projeto Cultural Waldir Azevedo
Projeto Cultural Waldir Azevedo is a center for artistic studies and practices, whose mission is to enable access to art free of charge in the metropolitan area of Brasilia, Brazil. Projeto Cultural Waldir Azevedo was created in 2009 by musician Dudu Oliveira. Mr. Oliveira’s dedication to the goals of the center has been phenomenal. Through his actions he gave life to the Orquestra de Cavaquinhos de Brasília, an orchestra founded in 2013, and Coral Armorial, a choir composed of visually impaired individuals.

Join the event at GoToMeeting on Sunday, May 23 at 7PM Eastern Time: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/504307973