Ary Lobo - Sentinela Do Mar from Forró Com - RCA Victor (1958)

1958. I thought that this album was from the mid-1960s, like a similarly titled Ary Lobo album from 1965 called Forró em Calcaia. The fact that this album is from the 1950s is absolutely astonishing. This is an artist who was every bit as vital, exciting and groundbreaking as rock n rollers Little Richard and Chuck Berry were in the United States. Sadly, perhaps because he sang exclusively in Portuguese, Ary Lobo is far less known in North America and Europe. That said, there are indications that his fanbase is growing. Forró Com Ary Lobo is one of the finest and most consistent forró albums ever, paving the way for Jacinto Silva's blistering career in the mid-1960s. Virtually every song on this record is superb. I chose a slightly moody number, Sentinela Do Mar (Sea Sentinel). This song was co-written by one of forró's finest, Alventino Cavalcante. Although the song starts off like many other forró tunes, as soon as Ary Lobo's voice hits, you know that you are hearing something special. Fortunately, this is one of Ary Lobo's easiest to acquire albums thanks to a consistently available CD reissue pressing. Buy it!

Ary Lobo - Sentinela Do Mar from Forró Com - RCA Victor (1958)

Ary Lobo - Forró Com - RCA Victor (1958)

Jacinto Silva - Côco Na Paraiba & Na Roça É Assim from Ritmo Explosivo - CBS (1965)

Jacinto Silva was one of the first forró artists to release a major album on CBS after Abdias came to the label in 1963. I am uncertain if Abdias is the artistic director for CBS forró at this point. He is not credited as Direção (essentially producer and artistic director) until Jacinto Silva's 1967 LP Só Era Eu, but Abdias and his band backs Silva on Ritmo Explosivo. Ritmo Explosivo was the first of three killer albums recorded by Jacinto Silva between 1965 and 1967. Cantando, his second album from 1965, was posted here. Silva continued to record for CBS through the mid-1970s, but subsequent CBS albums were shared with other artists. Silva also had scattered songs on compilations and released one compacto in 1968, previously posted here. 

It is interesting that Jacinto Silva's golden CBS period was between 1965-1967, because Jackson Do Pandeiro and Ary Lobo were attempting to mix samba into their music around 1965 and 1966, perhaps in an effort to diversify their audiences. Jacinto Silva recorded killer, unrelenting forró and never courted a genre shift. These albums would not be bested by another CBS artist until Jackson Do Pandeiro recorded O Dono Do Forró in 1971. In my opinion, O Dono Do Forró still reigns supreme as the greatest of all forró LPs, but Silva gives Jackson a run for his money and may be the primary artist keeping white hot energy going in the mid-1960s.

Jacinto Silva - Côco Na Paraiba from Ritmo Explosivo - CBS (1965)

Jacinto Silva - Na Roça É Assim from Ritmo Explosivo - CBS (1965)

Jacinto Silva - Ritmo Explosivo - CBS (1965)

Jacinto Silva & Trio Recife - Puxa O Fole Zé from Ritmo Explosivo - CBS (1965) & compacto simples - Maraca (1960s)

Jacinto Silva had a remarkable run of records on CBS in the mid to late 1960s on the Abdias-helmed CBS records in Brazil. Ritmo Explosivo (1965), Cantando (1965) and Só Era Eu (1967) may be the strongest series of forró albums, only bested by the king: Jackson Do Pandeiro. Ritmo Explosivo is a raucous barnstormer. Puxa O Fole Zé, composed by Silva, may be the wildest and most driving track on the album. I am pleased to feature two great versions. The second version is by Trio Recife on the exceptionally rare Maraca compacto. Trio Recife manage to increase fiery energy of Silva's version and nearly split microphones and speakers in the process. For some reason, I picture kids skipping rope to this one. I have been meaning to post this for two years and I am pleased as punch with this double whammy.

Jacinto Silva - Puxa O Fole Zé from Ritmo Explosivo - CBS (1965)

Trio Recife - Puxa O Fole Zé from compacto simples - Maraca (1960s)

Jacinto Silva - Ritmo Explosivo - CBS (1965)

Trio Recife - Puxa O Fole Zé from compacto simples - Maraca (1960s)