Clara Nunes - Feira De Mangaio from Esperança EP/LP - EMI/Odeon 1979

Clara Nunes - Feira De Mangaio from Esperança EP/LP - EMI/Odeon 1979

The ladies of forró, part 3 of 4! Happy Holidays All! Feira De Mangaio, written by Sivuca/Godalho may be the most famous forró track that I've ever posted on forró LP gringo. It was a huge hit for Clara Nunes, who is one of the great all-around Brazilian entertainers.

Clara Nunes - Feira De Mangaio from Esperança EP/LP - EMI/Odeon 1979

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Clara Nunes

Marinalva - Devagar Se Vai Ao Longe from Quermesse vol. 1 - Fontana 1971

Marinalva - Devagar Se Vai Ao Longe from Quermesse vol. 1 - Fontana 1971

The ladies of forró, part 2 of 4. There were numerous forró compilation LPs released in Brazil. Unlike most compilations released in North America and Europe which featured hits or a collection of promotional, but commercially available, tracks from artists, Brazilian forró compilation LPs contained entirely original and exclusive material, making them highly collectible. CBS and Fontana released more than 30 compilation LPs between 1967 and 1982. Quermesse was a 2 volume series on Fontana, featuring this great opening track from Marinalva. Like Marinês, Marinalva's commanding voice could hold it's own with the fellas. Marinalva had a long, confusing recording career with LPs scattered on multiple small and subsidiary labels.

Marinalva - Devagar Se Vai Ao Longe from Quermesse vol. 1 - Fontana 1971

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Marinalva on a sunny day long ago...

Carmelia Alves - Eh! Boi from Baião Com - Continental 1955

Carmelia Alves - Eh! Boi from Baião Com - Continental 1955

The ladies of forró, part 1 of 4. Carmelia Alves was one of the earliest stars of the genre that would later be known as forró. The 50s were formative years with no definitive musical genre boundaries. Carmelia's baião style was more similar to Luiz Gonzaga's than the lively coco / forró sounds that Jackson do Pandeiro or Ary Lobo would popularize on their own 10" albums and 78s released around the same time. Eh! Boi was recorded several times in her career, but this version is my favorite thanks to the lively orchestral arrangement and her playful Carmen Miranda-esque vocals.

Carmelia Alves - Eh! Boi from Baião Com - Continental 1955

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Carmelia Alves

Trio Marayá - Pé Do Lagero from No Tempo Dos Bons Tempos vol. 4 – Em Tempo De Nordeste - Fontana – 1972

Trio Marayá - Pé Do Lagero from No Tempo Dos Bons Tempos vol. 4 – Em Tempo De Nordeste - Fontana – 1972

Trio Marayá were an all-around pop vocal group from Brazil, similar in vocal style to the Kingston Trio in the US or Trio Irakitan in Brazil. The vocals are somewhat manly, which was popular in North and South American in the 1950s and early 1960s. Although they flirted with northeastern sounds, they were not a forró act. Most of their recordings from the 1950s and 1960s mixed samba and bossa nova. Trio Marayá appeared twice on the 1972 LP Em Tempo De Nordeste, which was one LP in a series of compilations released by Fontana with distinctive artwork. Many LPs in the series focused on individual artists, but this was a compilation. These songs were reissued from early releases by the Trio. Em Tempo De Nordeste is particularly interesting, because it featured some traditional northeastern styles other than forró.

Trio Marayá - Pé Do Lagero from No Tempo Dos Bons Tempos vol. 4 – Em Tempo De Nordeste - Fontana – 1972

Trio Marayá (from the 1950s)

Sebastião do Rojão – Meus Canarinho & Amor Proibido from Coisas Da Vida - RCA Camden 1967

Sebastião do Rojão – Meus Canarinho & Amor Proibido from Coisas Da Vida - RCA Camden 1967

Sebastião's albums tend to be diverse. Like Osvaldo Oliveira, he recorded a fair share of forró and balladeer LPs. Meus Canarinhos must have been a favorite, because there are several versions on compactos and LPs. Amor Proibido showcases Sebastião the balladeer.

Sebastião do Rojão – Meus Canarinho from Coisas Da Vida - RCA Camden 1967

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Sebastião do Rojão – Amor Proibido from Coisas Da Vida – RCA Camden 1967

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Sebastião do Rojão

Ary Lobo - Riviolândia (RCA compacto) 1961

Ary Lobo - Riviolândia (RCA compacto) 1961 

The monumental Ary Lobo returns to forróLPgringo with one of his greatest songs. Riviolândia was a 78rpm single. A few rare copies were sent to radio as a promotional 33 1/3 compacto single with a picture sleeve. Although much of his work has been reissued on CD (this single is an exception), Ary Lobo is still largely unknown outside of Brazil. Compared to Luiz Gonzaga and Jackson do Pandeiro, Lobo is primarily a footnote in the history of forró, except amongst roots collectors.

Ary Lobo - Riviolândia (RCA compacto) 1961 

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Ary Lobo at the top of his game.

Guaracy Do Pandeiro - Os Cabeludos & O Grito Do Balaieiro (RCA 1960s)

Guaracy Do Pandeiro - Os Cabeludos & O Grito Do Balaieiro (RCA 1960s)
This is a rare radio-only compacto forró single from the 1960s. I have no idea which year this was released. RCA is famous for being Luiz Gonzaga's label. Although a smattering of other forró artists were also on RCA (the most famous being Ary Lobo & Marinês), most artists were only given single LP releases. One-off compactos like Guaracy's were even rarer.

Guaracy Do Pandeiro - Os Cabeludos (RCA 1960s)

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Guaracy Do Pandeiro - O Grito Do Balaieiro (RCA 1960s)

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Guaracy Do Pandeiro - Os Cabeludos & O Grito Do Balaieiro (RCA 1960s)

Genival Lacerda selections from Mungangueiro 2 - Fontana 1972

Genival Lacerda selections from Mungangueiro 2 - Fontana 1972

Genival Lacerda is one of my all time favorites. He's got an incredible sense of rhythm, phrasing and timing. Pre-1975, he created forró that was as good and sometimes better than the classic work of Jackson do Pandeiro and Luiz Gonzaga. Lacerda recorded a suite of LPs for Fontana in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and this was the last. Muleque Beijoquiero, written by Lacerda about lost love and a stolen kiss in an orange grove is a song that I overlooked for a long time. The verse is sung by a gang of people and I was initially put off by the sound, but I found myself whistling the riff and singing the song in my head for days after hearing it. Licao Do Beijo is classic, revved up, balls-to-the wall forró delivered in the style that made Lacerda one of the kings. Quem Atura Bebado playfully features a riff more common to British Invasion / Beat songs than to forró. Lacerda's clever use of musical collage is proof positive that mixing styles will make for a more interesting listening experience.

Genival Lacerda- Muleque Beijoquiero - from Mungangueiro 2 - Fontana 1972

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Genival Lacerda - Licao Do Beijo - from Mungangueiro 2 - Fontana 1972

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Genival Lacerda - Quem Atura Bebado from Mungangueiro 2 - Fontana 1972

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Genival Lacerda right in the middle of a party.

Rouxinol Com Trio Guanabarino - O Cavaleiro De Durango / Ómé Tá Do Lado (ENIR compacto)

Rouxinol Com Trio Guanabarino - O Cavaleiro De Durango / Ómé Tá Do Lado (ENIR compacto)

This artist is a total mystery. There are a few things that I know, thanks to knowledgeable friends in the forró community.

1) Forró singles, also called compactos, are generally rarer than LPs. These were sent out to Brazilian radio stations, most likely to promote artists or tours. It is believed that they were never sold in stores.

2) This particular single by Rouxinol Com Trio Guanabarino was probably recorded in the 1960s. Compactos became popular during that time period as 78rpm records were being phased out.  Interestingly, most Brazilian compactos are at 33 1/3 speed and not 45rpm like many North American and European 45s.

3) My friends who collect forró are not immediately familiar with Rouxinol Com Trio Guanabarino or this particular single, so if you can shed some light on this mystery artist, that would be welcome!

Rouxinol Com Trio Guanabarino - O Cavaleiro De Durango (ENIR compacto)

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Rouxinol Com Trio Guanabarino - Ómé Tá Do Lado (ENIR compacto)

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Rouxinol Com Trio Guanabarino - O Cavaleiro De Durango / Ómé Tá Do Lado (ENIR compacto)

Jackson Do Pandeiro - Chiclete Com Banana (video clip)

Jackson Do Pandeiro - Chiclete Com Banana (live)I wish that more of this clip was available! This is an excerpt from a BBC4 documentary about Brazilian music. Chiclete Com Banana (Chewing Gum With Banana), written in 1959 by Gordurinha and Almira Castilho and later famously covered by Gilberto Gil, is Jackson's most famous song, but most live performances currently on the web do not do Jackson or the song justice. This one absolutely does.

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Jackson do Pandeiro - The king testifies.

Elias Alves - Luar Do Meu Sertao & Coco No Sereno from Adeus Guanabara - Tropicana 1973

Elias Alves - Luar Do Meu Sertao & Coco No Sereno from Adeus Guanabara - Tropicana 1973

Elias made his first appearance on forróLPgringo with an appearance on a Fontana compilation called O Fino Da Roça vol.4.  He recorded 2 rare solo LPs in the early 1970s.  The general consensus is that pressing size was probably limited to roughly 500 copies per LPs.  Like many forró LPs, not every track was a killer... but Elias Alves always had a few essentials on every release.

Elias Alves - Luar Do Meu Sertao from Adeus Guanabara - Tropicana 1973

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Elias Alves - Coco No Sereno from Adeus Guanabara - Tropicana 1973

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Elias Alves is ready for a canoe.

Zé Fernandes – Não Interessa Não from No Forró do Mané Vito - Sinter

Zé Fernandes – Não Interessa Não from No Forró do Mané Vito - Sinter

Zé Fernandes is a bit of a mystery. As far as I am aware, he only released 2 albums. The first was a 10" from 1957. It is unclear when No Forró do Mané Vito came out, but it's a safe guess that it was released in the late 50s or very early in the 1960s. No Forró do Mané Vito is the favorite forró album by a collector friend of mine with a vast collection and exemplary taste. I can understand why he loves it. The vocals are excellent and the production is drenched in mysterious clap-backed delay, reminiscent of some of my favorite early kitchen-sink rock n' roll and ska records. Zé Fernandes last appeared on LP in 1962. After that, he sailed into the unknown. Perhaps he is still knocking out audiences in Pernambuco dance halls or spinning ghostly sounds on lost ships in the lower Atlantic.

Who was Zé Fernandes?

Gilvan Chaves – Vovó Sabina from Encantos do Nordeste - Columbia 1958

Gilvan Chaves – Vovó Sabina from Encantos do Nordeste - Columbia 1958

Forró is typically upbeat, catchy dance music from the northeast of Brazil. Like any popular genre, forró has sub-genres and branches that defy pure categorization. Elomar, Xangai, Jackson do Pandeiro, Carmélia Alves and Borrachinha are a few of the artists that followed, created and broke the rules, inventing haunted northeastern folk mixed with forró.

In 1958, when forró wasn't the strict genre it became later, Gilvan Chaves created his classic LP: Encantos do Nordeste. The album shares similarities to Vinicius Des Moraes / Baden Powell's Os Afro Sambas and Zélia Barbosa's Sertão e Favelas, but Encantos do Nordeste is far less known and celebrated.  The album has a hypnotizing quality. Songs flow like a single piece, with Chaves breaking into story between songs with minimal accompaniment. Incantations... Enchantments.... Charms of the Northeast... indeed.

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Gilvan Chaves shows off his masterpiece (thank you Felipe Batista for the photo)

The music of Elino Julião: Part Three: Rio Grande Meu Xodó (Todo Mundo Quer)

The music of Elino Julião: Part Three: Rio Grande Meu Xodó (Todo Mundo Quer)
This August, I will be recognizing the music of the late, great Elino Julião (1936-2006). Elino was one of the great voices, recording artists and songwriters of forró. He was one of the shining stars of CBS during the label's golden age during the 60s and 70s.

For the last installment, we have a battle of the bands featuring one of my favorite forró songs from 1971 and 1967.  This is a classic example of the right recording, studio, band, tempo and attitude really mattering. 

Elino Julião –Rio Grande Meu Xodó from Aquilo CBS 1971

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Sebastião do Rojão – Rio Grande Meu Xodó (Todo Mundo Quer) from Coisas Da Vida – RCA Camden 1967

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Keep your eye on the sky, with Elino Julião

The music of Elino Julião: Part Two - Aquilo - CBS 1971

The music of Elino Julião: Part Two – Aquilo - CBS 1971

 This August, I will be recognizing the music of the late, great Elino Julião (1936-2006). Elino was one of the great voices, recording artists and songwriters of forró. He was one of the shining stars of CBS during the label's golden age during the 60s and 70s.

Aquilo - CBS 1971

Before 1975, Julião had an oddly communal recording career. He recorded split-side albums with Messias Holanda in 1970 {also Zé Catraca}, 1974 and 1975 and Jacinto Silva in 1972 and 1973. He was also a regular in top shelf compilations / coletâneas like O Fino da Roça (Fontana) and Pau De Sebo (CBS). Although there was plenty of Julião material in the marketplace, he only released one solo LP before 1975. Aquilo contained some of the best, most magical recordings of Elino Julião's career and some of my favorite songs from the genre. After 1975, Julião became more of a balladeer like Osvaldo Oliveira. Aquilo is Julião's single authentic forró solo album.

Elino Julião – O Galo Vai Cantar from Aquilo - CBS 1971

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Elino Julião – Namoro Proibido from Aquilo - CBS 1971

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Elino Julião in a strange artificial space.

The music of Elino Julião: Part One: Xangai, Jackson do Pandeiro & Elino Julião - Xodó de Motorista

The music of Elino Julião: Part One: Xangai, Jackson do Pandeiro & Elino Julião - Xodó de Motorista

This August, I will be recognizing the music of the late, great Elino Julião (1936-2006). Elino was one of the great voices, recording artists and songwriters of forró. He was one of the shining stars of CBS during the label's golden age during the 60s and 70s.

Writing memorable songs is a tremendous challenge. Creating a recording of a great song that is extraordinary and transcends the ages is even harder.  Many artists view a great recording as their legacy and brainchild.

Xodó de Motorista, written by Elino Julião & Dilson Dória is a classic, but Julião's version probably isn't definitive. Xangai takes the prize. To be fair, Julião recorded the song over 10 years after it was written, with a nod to whimsy. In the next entry, we'll show what Julião can do when unleashed with all of his power on Aquilo.

Xangai - Xodó de Motorista from Bahia De Todos Os Cantos (Dos Labutos) - Kuarup Discos 1987

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Xangai's (Eugenio Avelino) Xodó de Motorista is a trippy, tongue twisting monster reminiscent of the best Gilberto Gil recordings and probably the finest recorded version of this song.

Jackson do Pandeiro - Xodó de Motorista from Aqui Tô Eu - Philips 1970

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I believe Jackson's version of Xodó de Motorista was the first, closing his classic album
Aqui Tô Eu (featured here in an earlier entry) from 1970. 

Elino Julião - Xodó de Motorista from O Fino Do Fino Da Roça - Sinter 1979

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Something about clarinet and tuba sounds right for an old folks home. I have no idea why!

Elino Julião owns your town.

Jackson do Pandeiro - Auê Birimbáu - É Sucesso - Cantagalo/Tropicana 1976 (or perhaps mid-1960's)

Jackson do Pandeiro - Auê Birimbáu - É Sucesso - Cantagalo/Tropicana reissue 1976 (likely first released mid-1960's)

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Aue Birimbáu (Aires viana – Nilo dias – Alvaro Sobrinho) is a strangely wistful, magical, sentimental-sounding song from Jackson do Pandeiro. The music suggests that the song is from an earlier part of his career. Also, the title of the album, É Sucesso, erroneously implies that this is a compilation. Neither is true. According to most discographies, this LP came out in 1976. It seems hard to believe, especially because the photos on the back feature albums by Cantagalo artists from the mid-to-late 1960's.

My guess is that É Sucesso was reissued in the 70s on Tropicana, which is why it is less expensive and easier to find in excellent condition than most of Jackson's LPs.

A birimbáu (also spelled berimbau) is a single stringed instrument of African origin. It is used in the martial art capoeira and is the subject of songs from a variety of Brazilian artists, although I do not believe the sound of the birimbáu instrument can be heard on this record.

A later Jackson do Pandeiro live picture from Projecto Pixinguinha.