Por Amor ao Forró (For the love of Forró) - forró documentary with English subtitles

I stumbled onto this documentary about forró today. The interviews and explanations are excellent. If you are looking for an introduction to the rhythmic styles within forró, how the music is played, the history and how it is regarded by contemporary players, this is a great place to start. English speaking gringos are fortunate as well. The subtitles are fabulous. Check out 6:25 for a demonstration of the various beats in forró music. 

Por Amor ao Forró (For the love of Forró) - forró documentary with English subtitles

Rare Forró Documentary in English & Portuguese - Luiz Gonzaga, Azulão & Jackson Do Pandeiro

Thanks to Fabio Nettekoven, I was lucky enough to snag a short video about forró from a Brazilian music documentary that originally aired on the BBC 4, featuring Luiz Gonzaga from later life, Azulão and Jackson do Pandeiro, along with interviews with Siba, Azulão, DJ Dolores and Paulo Andre Pires. They do a pretty good job capturing the setting and describing the meaning of forró to the people of the Northeast.  

Siba says that Luiz Gonzaga is like Bob Marley. I find this analogy problematic. One, Bob Marley was an international superstar who carried the sound of reggae to a mainstream audience in multiple countries. Although Gonzaga was a massive star and cultural icon in Brazil, forró has never reached an international mainstream audience. Of all of the interviewees, Paulo Andre Pires' observations are the most accurate. If anything, Carmen Miranda is more like Bob Marley. They both delivered the cleanest, poppiest versions of their artforms, reggae and samba, to the rest of the world. They both spoke English. Luiz Gonzaga did not. Two, Luiz Gonzaga is credited for creating the genres of baião and forró. Gonzaga created the forró group combo: triangle, accordion, vocals and zabumba. Bob Marley did not invent reggae or the type of band to play it. He only popularized it. That is not to diminish Marley's or Carmen Miranda's contributions, but Luiz Gonzaga almost single-handedly invented their genre of music that is still popular 70 years after he first appeared on the radio. Like I said in my first post on this blog back in 2012 (I might have lifted this from someone, but I don't know who): In terms of influence, Luiz Gonzaga is to Brazil like Alan Lomax, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly are combined in the US. Even my analogy is flawed. 

The other piece that is missing from this documentary is how many other artists there are who have made great and influential recordings other than Gonzaga and Jackson. Azulão, for example, is an accomplished artist in his own right, with a sizable catalog of recordings. In the documentary, Azulão seems like some random dude they pulled out of a house to sing a Gonzaga cover. Since Gonzaga launched the revolution in the 1940s, there have been thousands of forró 78s, LPs, 10"s, compactos, CDs and tapes released in Brazil; perhaps more than 100,000. It is great to start with Jackson and Gonzaga, but if you get interested in forró, those guys are at the peak of one massive iceberg.

Rare Forró Documentary in English & Portuguese - Luiz Gonzaga, Azulão & Jackson Do Pandeiro

Luiz Vieira - Eu Sou Eu from Em Tempo De Verdade - Copacabana (1971)

This is Luiz Vieira's debut on this Forró LP Gringo. Vieira dipped his toes in multiple Brazilian genres during his recording career, including baião and forró. He gradually moved away from northeastern music as his career progressed. Eu So Eu features Vieira's powerful voice, a forró rhythm with a bit of samba cuíca. The LP, Em Tempo De Verdade, may also be of interest to Tropicalia collectors, because Rógerio Duprat was involved with the arrangements, along with Leo Peracchi, Moacyr Portes and José Briamonte. The majority of the LP features lush, nicely orchestrated ballads. 

Luiz Vieira - Eu Sou Eu from Em Tempo De Verdade - Copacabana (1971) 

Luiz Vieira - Em Tempo De Verdade - Copacabana (1971) 

Sirí do Forró - Passei Dos Trinta, Baião do Bambolé & Fui A Umbanda from Mandando Brasa - Continental (1965)

Sirí do Forró's Mandando Brasa is a scorcher. I have been humming these songs all week. The production sounds uncannily like mid-1960s Jackson do Pandeiro Philips Records albums. Mandando Brasa may be the best album that Jackson do Pandeiro never recorded. It was hard to cherry pick three tracks because there are so many exceptional tunes on this LP. Sirí's career is somewhat mysterious after Mandando Brasa. He went on to record an album in 1984, but I am not sure what he may have done in the 20 year gap between the two LPs. The artwork for Mandando Brasa was later nicked by MusiColor for Benedito Nunes' 1971 LP Forró Bom Danado.

Sirí do Forró - Passei Dos Trinta from Mandando Brasa - Continental (1965)

Sirí do Forró - Baião do Bambolé from Mandando Brasa - Continental (1965)

Sirí do Forró - Fui A Umbanda from Mandando Brasa - Continental (1965)

Sirí do Forró - Mandando Brasa - Continental (1965)

Marinalva e Sua Gente - Enquanto Hã Vida, Hã Esperança & Eu Vim De Longe from Poeira do Caminho - Tropicana (1974)

Following hard on the heels of Pirril, posted last week on ForroLPGringo, is Marinalva's classic LP, Poeira do Caminho, from 1974. Tropicana had a run of albums that were beautifully produced by Pedro Sertanejo in the mid-1970s. It is likely that many of the same musicians were were the house band for Sertanejo and Tropicana at this time. The cavaquinho and zabumba have a very distinctive sound. There are a bunch of good songs from this LP and it is difficult to cherry pick two favorites. Enquanto Hã Vida, Hã Esperança features double tracked vocals, which was unusual for forró produciton. Eu Vim De Longe showcases Marinalva's moodier side and the versatility of the band.

Marinalva e Sua Gente - Enquanto Hã Vida, Hã Esperança from Poeira do Caminho - Tropicana (1974)

Marinalva e Sua Gente - Eu Vim De Longe from Poeira do Caminho - Tropicana (1974

Marinalva e Sua Gente - Poeira do Caminho - Tropicana (1974)