Analytical and comparative study about Segura ele and Um a zero, two choros by Brazilian composer and instrumentalist Pixinguinha, who embarked to Paris in 1922, on the historical trip with his choro group Oito Batutas (Eight Smarties), where he met American jazz musicians. It shows traits of ragtime in Segura ele departing from the recordings of the works in the CD Pixinguinha 100 anos, which includes performances by the composer on both the saxophone and flute. A comparison among formal, harmonic, rhythmic, motivic, instrumentation and iconographic elements reveal that Pixinguinha's choro style was influenced by the US popular music genre in several levels.
Pixinguinha; choro; ragtime; Brazilian popular music; musical analysis