Bando Da Lua - Nega Do Cabelo Duro (1949) from Nos EUA - MCA (1975)

Although maracatu rhythms cross over into forró, generally it is much more common in samba. I am bending the rules this week. Banda Da Lua were Carmen Miranda's backing group. One of her stipulations when traveling to work in the United States was to keep her Brazilian backing band. This was a good call, because it would have been impossible for most North American musicians to match the grooves and close harmonies provided by Bando Da Lua.

Along with backing Miranda on her records, Bando Da Lua put out singles in Brazil and in the United States. The group remained active in the United States until Carmen Miranda's death in 1955. Aloysio De Oliveira was involved in the formation of the famous bossa nova label Elenco. José Oliveira was the voice of the Disney character Zé (short for José) Carioca. This character had a few roles in Disney cartoons, but was even more popular as a comic book character in Brazil and South America. 

Nega Do Cabelo Duro is a relatively famous song in Brazil, but Bando Da Lua's version is less well known. It was covered by Astrid Gilberto, Elis Regina and multiple other acts. I am not certain which act recorded it first.

Bando Da Lua - Nos EUA - MCA (1975)

Zepraxédi - Meu Nordeste from o poeta vaqueiro - Rosicler (1974)

Zepraxédi is a fairly obscure release from 1974 on the Rosicler label. Rosicler also released LPs by Jackson Do Pandeiro, Genival Lacerda, Luiz Wanderley, Natalício Santos and Zé Alves, so Zepraxédi is in fine company. The sound of the act features a strong acoustic sound, wisely featuring guitarist Perez Gonzaga (spelled Peres on this LP) on half of the album tracks. Overall, the album is pleasantly reminiscent of Zito Borborema's best work. 

Zepraxédi - o poeta vaqueiro - Rosicler (1974)

Genival Lacerda - A Menina De Campina Grande (rojão) from O Senador Do Rojão - Chantecler (1968)

Genival Lacerda died in January 2021 of COVID. He was one of the few forró greats to survive past the millennium. Genival Lacerda was one of the reasons I started collecting forró. His work recorded between the early 1960s and 1975 is astonishingly good. Lacerda found a commercial niche after 1975, clowning around on television and recording songs laced with double entendre. Lacerda was always interested in comedy and recorded a comedy record in 1970. However, the comedy part of his persona dominated his career after Severina Xique-Xique in 1975. Serious collectors initially scoffed when I expressed interest in collecting Genival Lacerda's records, primarily because they had not heard the period before he became a variety show staple in Brazil. However, this perception may have shifted some in the past 10 years. A Menina De Campina Grande, written by Genival Lacerda and Elino Julião and recorded in 1968, is a gem from his golden era when his skill in the genre was second-to-none. Genival Lacerda was a blazing light. 

Genival Lacerda - O Senador Do Rojão - Chantecler (1968)