Forró

The name forró comes from the word forrobodó, "pagode entertainment", according to folklore scholar Câmara Cascudo. Both pagode (contemporary name for samba) and forró are original celebrations or festivities turned into musical styles. The forrobodó - "informal ball" - is also known as arrasta-pé (foot-dragger), bate-chinela (flop-banger) or fobó (a contraction of forrobodó), and fueled by a variety of northeastern styles (baião, coco, rojão, quadrilha, xaxado, xote) played on the pé de bode (goat foot), an 8-bass accordion. A fancier version of the name’s origins claims that forró was the Brazilian attempt to reproduce the sound of "for all", which were ball parties held by the British engineers of the Great Western railway for their employees.

As large amounts of northeastern immigrants headed to the southeast to escape from the drought, numerous forró joints were opened before the style became fashionable in the wealthiest Brazilian cities. Today, the towns of Caruaru (Pernambuco) and Campina Grande (Paraíba), both in the northeast, compete for the title of forró capital, with long-term festivities turned into tourist events that gather bigger crowds every year.

Gonzaga and Jackson spread the word
As an advocate for northeastern music in Rio and São Paulo, accordionist Luiz Gonzaga do Nascimento (1912-1989) was the first to put the term on record in the track Forró de Mané Vito, written with Zé Dantas in 1949. Gonzaga composed with different partners and produced standard hits along the years, like Numa Sala de Reboco (1964), with José Marcolino, Forró de Pedro Chaves (1967), Fole Roncou (a forrock with Nelson Valença, in 1973), Forró de Cabo a Rabo (1986) and Forró Gostoso (1988), both with João Silva. Forró singer Marinês (e sua Gente), though, credits Jackson do Pandeiro (José Gomes Filho, 1919-1982) for the implementation of forró in the southern market with his recording of Forró em Limoeiro (Edgar Ferreira), in 1953. Jackson also turned songs like Sebastiana (Rosil Cavalcanti), A Mulher do Aníbal (Genival Macedo/Nestor de Paula) and Um a Um (Edgar Ferreira) into classics, helping establish his name as the king of forró.

The influence of Jackson’s music, celebrated in the song Jacksoul Brasileiro, by Lenine, encouraged the band Cascabulho (from Recife, Pernambuco) to make the tribute album Revisto e Sampleado (Reviewed and Sampled), featuring guest performances by Gal Costa, Chico Buarque, Zeca Pagodinho, Fernanda Abreu, Paralamas and O Rappa. On the other hand, mangue beat bands like Nação Zumbi, mundo livre s/a, Otto, DJ Dolores and Mestre Ambrósio reviewed Luiz Gonzaga’s works with a more electronic edge on the tribute-CD Baião de Viramundo. Gilberto Gil, Nando Cordel, Geraldo Azevedo and Elba Ramalho are some of both artists’ disciples.

Also from Pernambuco, José Domingos de Morais, a.k.a. Dominguinhos, helped settling the elements that would make forró take over other styles. As Luiz Gonzaga’s protégé and inspired by the tropicalists, the accordionist from Garanhuns (Pernambuco) has often included instrumental improvisations in his concerts, helping consolidate the genre that had been practiced for many years in the underground forró market.

The gregarious and outward spirit of the dance-driven style has been incorporated by artists like Sivuca, Chiquinho do Acordeom, Oswaldinho, and newcomers like Forroçacana and Trio Forrozão (both from Rio).

 

Songs

Forró de Mané Vito (Luiz Gonzaga/ Zé Dantas) – Luiz Gonzaga
Forró em Limoeiro (Edgar Ferreira) – Jackson do Pandeiro
Derramaro o Gai (Luiz Gonzaga) – Luiz Gonzaga
Forró em Caruaru (Zé Dantas) – Jackson do Pandeiro
Coroné Antonio Bento (João do Vale/ Luiz Wanderley) – Tim Maia
Feira de Mangaio (Sivuca/ Glorinha Gadelha) – Clara Nunes
Forró do Chic Tak (Pinto do Acordeon/ Aracílio Araújo) – Fagner e Elba Ramalho
Quatro Cravos (Quatro Cravos na Lapela) (Jarbas Mariz/ Cátia de França) – Marinês e Gilberto Gil
Na Base da Chinela (Jackson do Pandeiro/ Rosil Cavalcanti) – Elba Ramalho
Forró Número Um (Cecéu) – Luiz Gonzaga e Gal Costa
Pagode russo (Luiz Gonzaga/ João Silva)/ Quero Chá (Luiz Gonzaga/ José Marcolino)/Fuga da África (Luiz Gonzaga) – Dominguinhos, Sivuca e Oswaldinho
Isso Aqui Tá Bom Demais (Dominguinhos/ Nando Cordel) – Dominguinhos
Eu Quero Ver Você Dizer Que Eu SouRruim (Alceu Valença/ Alcymar Monteiro/ Aracílio Araújo) – Alceu Valença
For All Para Todos (Geraldo Azevedo/ Capinam) – Geraldo Azevedo
Forró de Viola (Miltinho Edilberto) – Miltinho Edilberto
O Fole Roncou (Luiz Gonzaga/ Nelson Valença) – Nação Zumbi