Walter Damasceno - E O Treco Pego (rojão) from Columbia 78rpm (1950s)

In the 1950s, remarkable breakthroughs were being made with magnetic tape. This vastly improved the quality of recordings. Walter Damasceno, along with Jackson do Pandeiro, Ary Lobo, Luiz Wanderley, Jair Alves and a number of other artists greatly benefitted from these advancements. Unfortunately, Brazil was a slower to adopt vinyl than the United States and Europe. As a result, there are quite a few artists classified as baião (later forró) who have songs lost to time because they were recorded on 78rpm shellac.

78rpm's are fragile and not many have survived. Very few 78rpm's were exported. Walter Damasceno recorded an LP and several compactos, so he is luckier than someone like Carlos Galindo, who was released exclusively on 78rpm. 

However, Damasceno's catalog contains 78rpm releases that are much more difficult to locate than his vinyl and were never compiled. The surge of interest in vintage forró in the last 10 years hopefully means that some of this rare music will be preserved. Unfortunately, with the music business being decimated by downloading, it is unlikely that this music will be professionally archived.

On a lighter note, forró is one of the few genres that effectively uses tuba as a bass instrument. Jackson do Pandeiro was fond of the instrument and used it quite a bit on his horn heavy tracks. Props to Damasceno or his production team for an inspired choice!

Walter Damasceno - E O Treco Pego (rojão) from Columbia 78rpm (1950s)

Jackson Do Pandeiro - Vou Buscar Maria (rojão) from Jackson do Pandeiro - Columbia (1959)

Ah, the great Jackson do Pandeiro. He's the man Gilberto Gil called a genius also has the most substantial catalog in all of forró. Vou Buscar Maria comes from his self-titled 1959 Columbia LP. This wasn't one of his biggest hits, but is typical of his atypically excellent work. From Jackson, you often get all killer with no filler.

This particular pressing of the LP is bizarre. It appears to be a reissue on heavy vinyl, but the cover reproduction is unusual. Bootleg, perhaps? Alas, collectors, keep an eye out for reissues of all of Jackson's Columbia era material, although this 1959 album is far less common. His never-reissued Philips period remains his most coveted. 

Jackson Do Pandeiro - Jackson do Pandeiro - Columbia (1959)

Nerize Paiva - Só Gosto De Um Amor Só (côco) - Mocambo compacto (1965)

Só Gosto De Um Amor Só (côco) is a 1965 compacto from Nerize Paiva on the Mocambo label. The song also appeared on the Mocambo compilation LP: Arrasta-Pé Em Caruaru. Beautiful, soulful, gorgeously produced and nicely packaged, Só Gosto De Um Amor Só is a rare female-sung track from tough period in Brazilian history. Classic!

Nerize Paiva - Só Gosto De Um Amor Só (côco) - Mocambo compacto (1965)