Luiz Gonzaga's impact on forró and northeastern Brazil is like the invention of electricity. Everything changed after he put the northeastern sound on 78rpm in the early 1940s. His career spanned the 78rpm, compacto, 10" LP, vinyl and CD era. It is amazing that he had such a huge impact on Brazilian music, yet the world is still barely aware of the entire genre. Rosinha appeared on a rare compacto and the LP "Lua" from 1961.
Luiz Gonzaga - Vida De Vaqueiro compacto - RCA (1961)
Macapá (baião) from 1950 by Luiz Gonzaga sounds electric and alive. It is punchy and direct, which must have sounded so refreshing at the time. This is another example of Luiz Gonzaga sounding like the future. Macapá is pure joy.
Luiz Gonzaga - Macapá (baião) from RCA Victor 78rpm (1950)
Luiz Gonzaga's classic 1952 78rpm single Vamos Xaxear b/w Xaxado is so stunning that it deserves to have both sides featured. It is one of those rare early singles that seems like a double A side. Vamos Xaxear is an incredible song full of tension and driving rhythm. Gonzaga doesn't start singing until a minute and twenty seconds into the song. It is powerful, relentless and red hot. The king earns his crown on this one.
Luiz Gonzaga - Vamos Xaxear (xaxado) from RCA Victor 78rpm (1952)
It is astounding that this is from 1952. Xaxado is an absolute killer single from Luiz Gonzaga, giving any R&B track from the USA during this period a run for its money. It is also interesting that Gonzaga did not pick this as one of his favorites when compiling his boxed set in the 1980s.
Luiz Gonzaga - Xaxado (xaxado) from RCA Victor 78rpm (1952)
Although this is a baião interpretation of the João Do Vale song, Luiz Gonzaga often enjoyed long-winded introductions to his songs. This storytelling style was also popular with other artists, especially Gilvan Chaves in the 1950s. By the time 1964 rolled around, Gonzaga was facing serious competition from Jackson do Pandeiro, Ary Lobo and up-and-comers like Genival Lacerda, Osvaldo Oliveira and Jacinto Silva. Even Gonzaga's protégé, Marinés, was cranking out killer records. Most of these artists went straight for the heart of the song.Luiz Gonzaga's output was still prolific, but not always dazzling. Gonzaga's LPs usually had two or three great songs and a lot of filler, with some exceptions. Fogo No Paraná is a great baião and one of the best tracks on Sanfona Do Povo. It sounds like music from a mythical western with an unmistakable Brazilian groove. I can see why Gonzaga was attracted to Fogo No Paraná, Nobody captured, and in this case interpreted, the mystery and the mythos of the Northeast better than Luiz Gonzaga.
Luiz Gonzaga was the first forró artist that I explored. His work was available for free on the, now seemingly defunct, official website in the mid-2000s. RCA also released a comprehensive remastered reissue series of most of his work as well.
Luiz Gonzaga produced a lot of work in his lifetime. Gonzaga was a strong singles artist in the 1940s. When the format became popular, Gonzaga mainly produced LPs. The early releases were collections of singles. Xamego was not. Xamego was the first album of his career that was not released as a 10", but the new 12" format that would become the standard for the subsequent 30 years.
Some Gonzaga albums plod a bit with too many xotés and bum tracks, but even iffy albums usually have a few good numbers. One thing Luiz Gonzaga was exceptional at doing was pulling out an ace track during flagging periods. His Odeon albums in the 70s may be the most energetic tracks ever recorded by an older artist.
Thanks to his official website, Luiz Gonzaga's catalog was the first one that I explored when I started my forró adventures. Little did I know how vast the world of forró really was. Because I had a heavy Gonzaga phase, I don't return to his catalog as much as I should! Zé Buchudo is a track that I didn't play much back then and I've grown to love. It has a really neat descending backing vocal and a wonderful tuba bass line. Like Jackson do Pandeiro, some of Gonzaga's early 70s records rank amongst his best.
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
I nabbed this DVD in Brazil
in 2013. For some reason, I never got around to watching it until last night.
The DVD has English subtitles. Below is a short summary and review.
The 2012 Brazilian film, Gonzaga - De Pai Pra Filho (Father to Son), is the story of Luiz Gonzaga's son reconnecting
with his father after years of estrangement. The events take place in
1981 when Gonzaga Sr., "The King of Baião," is nearly broke and at the lowest point in his career.
In an attempt to reach Jr. (nicknamed Gonzaguinha and Luizinho), Gonzaga Sr. reveals the story of his life to his son for the first time. As with most biopics, the events are
told through a painterly lens of part-legend and part-truth. The costumes, acting, set
design, cinematography and music are exceptional. While the film is sentimental and dramatic,
it does not play as melodrama. The director, Breno Silveira, grounds the mythic Gonzaga Sr. in reality by allowing him to be a flawed human being. For fans of northeastern Brazilian music, Gonzaga - De Pai Pra Filho is essential. Additionally, it will give foreigners a rare glimpse into the pop culture history of Brazil, especially northern Brazil, which has been unjustly hidden.
Gonzaga - De Pai Pra Filho - Warner Brothers / Downtown Filmes (2012) - trailer
Luiz Gonzaga - De Pai Pra Filho - Warner Brothers / Downtown Filmes (2012)
Luiz Gonzaga - O Xote Das Meninas from A História Do Nordeste - RCA (1953) I'm long overdue for a Luiz Gonzaga post. Gonzaga is credited for launching the genre that this blog is dedicated to. His rich catalog, which I have barely featured, is full of classics. This early 10" compilation contains some of his greatest 78 rpm records. The selection is tasteful and smart. Four songs are from 1953: Saudade de Pernambuco, O Xote das Meninas, O ABC do Sertão and Algodão & four tunes that pre-date the release of this 10", including: Asa Branca from 1947, Paraîba & Respeita Januário from 1950 and Acauã from 1952. A História Do Nordeste is a great example of Gonzaga's best early work. 10" records, like this one, are typically easier to find outside of Brazil than 12" forró LPs from the 1960s and 70s. Although it seems like these records may have been exported more widely before 1959, forró did not have an international glory period like Bossa Nova. It's possible that the Golpe de 64, or military coup of 1964, may have shut the door on the possibility, but it's more likely that the lack of affluent promotion of forró, aside from the Tropicalia participants, meant that the music was to remain trapped in Brazil. One might argue that even Tropicalia wasn't well-known internationally until recently, when it was popularized in the late 1980s by David Byrne's Luaka Bop label and imported by stores like Other Music in New York City in the 1990s and later by Dusty Groove in Chicago. Xote is a rhythmic style in forró. Most later xotes were slow, with an oompa-oompa polka-like backing beat. Gonzaga's O Xote Das Meninas (The Xote Girls) is lively and upbeat.
Luiz Gonzaga - O Xote Das Meninas from A História Do Nordeste - RCA (1953)
I discovered forró about 7 years ago. If forró got the royal treatment on CD, like 60s and 70s rock has in the US and UK, I probably never would have started this blog. Alas, there is a dearth of information about this great genreand, most importantly, vintage forró music, in general, is heavily underrepresented in digital form. The almost total lack of availability of forró on CDs led me to seeking
the original vinyl. Hopefully, my archiving efforts will turn a few
people onto this great music. That said, a few artists have some noteworthy CDs worth snatching up. In fact, some of these CDs are as scarce as the vintage vinyl.
Brazil Classics 3 - forró
I am eternally grateful to Luaka Bop and David Byrne for this compilation. I recently discovered that this was released on vinyl in a few countries. My copy comes from Brazil, but it was also issued in Germany. Although it does not feature the cream of every featured artist's catalog, it was a fine enough starter to peak my interest.
Brazil Classics 3 - forró CD and vinyl LP
Ary Lobo
Ary Lobo was amazing and his work sounds as incredible today as it was the day it was recorded. Ary's 2 major labels in the 50s and 60s were RCA and Cantagalo. Nothing from Cantagalo, his late 60s label, has been reissued. Of Ary Lobo's RCA catalog, 5 random albums out of 9 were reissued. Although it's a shame that his entire RCA catalog did not get re-released, which includes many compactos (singles and EPs) that were not on the LPs, the CDs that were released sound fantastic. The Brazil Popular compilation includes random songs from his RCA catalog and a few tunes released by Lobo in the 1970s.
RCA period:
1958 - Último Pau de Arara - RCA (10" LP) - never reissued
1958 - Forró com Ary Lobo - RCA (LP)
1960 - Aqui Mora o Ritmo - RCA (LP) - never reissued
1961 - Cheguei Na Lua - RCA (LP)
1962 - Ary Lobo - RCA (LP)
1963 - Poeira de Ritmos - RCA (LP)
1964 - Forró em Calcaia - RCA (LP) - never reissued
1965 - Zé Mané - RCA (LP)
1966 - Quem é o Campeão? - RCA (LP) - never reissued
Ary Lobo - História De Um Órfão from Poeira De Ritmos - RCA Victor (1963)
Ary Lobo on CD
Marinês E Sua Gente
Marinés also has a vast catalog. She was lucky enough to record for 2 of the best major labels in the 60s and 70s, RCA and CBS. Some songs from her fantastic CBS period have ended up on random CD compilations like Maxximum. Her RCA catalog, with the exception of the first LP she recorded after leaving Sinter and some compactos (singles), were beautifully reissued on CD.
RCA period:
Marinês e Sua Gente (1960) RCA LP - never reissued
It is unsurprising that Luiz Gonzaga has gotten the best CD treatment, since he is effectively the king of forró and baião, credited as launching the genre. Although his RCA CDs were reissued with versions of the original artwork, his EMI Odeon work has appeared on a few random compilations. I still haven't picked up all of his work on CD, although what I have found sounds excellent. Again, bravo to RCA for taking the time to do this well.
Luiz Gonzaga on CD
Jackson do Pandeiro
Poor Jackson. Arguably, the most influential forró artist has appeared on multiple weird compilation CDs. Some of the CDs are quite good. 20 Super Sucessos has a shite cover but is a decent overview of his CBS years. 50 anos de ritmos seems like it would be comprehensive based on the title, but it only features his earliest pre-1962 Copacabana work. Although those songs are fine, it's arguable that his 1960 Philips through 1970s CBS period was better. The Jackson and Jacinto Silva Brasil Popular compilation is great... except it only features 13 songs. It short-changes Jackson, Jacinto and the buyer. It's worth buying for the Jacinto Silva songs alone, who does not have any other reissues. As far as I am aware, there are no legitimate reissues featuring any of Jackson's original albums with artwork.
Jackson do Pandeiro on CD
Elino Julião, Messias Holanda, Trio Nordestino, Os 3 Do Nordeste, Genival Lacerda and Zenilton
The Brasil Popular Os 3 Do Nordeste, 20 Super Sucessos and A Popularidade de Genival Lacerda CDs are great and well worth hunting down. Most of the other compilations don't serve the artists particularly well. Generally speaking, I hate the Raizes Nordestinas series. For some reason, those are almost always disappointing.
Elino Julião, Messias Holanda, Trio Nordestino, Os 3 Do Nordeste, Genival Lacerda and Zenilton on CD
Luiz
Gonzaga was 62 years old when he recorded the LP Daquele Jeito in 1974. Gonzaga sounded fiery, energetic,
youthful, fun and vital. How many rock acts with 62 year olds from North
America or Europe can we say the same thing about? I can't think of
one. Many forró artists recorded better albums in
middle age than in their "prime." Although I am not versed in the cultural
biases (or lack thereof) towards age in Brazil, I can say that the
purpose and origins of forró music are distinctly different than rock, which is
probably why older forró artists maintained vitality at ages when rock musicians
were considered over-the-hill. There are other types of North American and European music with older, respected artists like jazz, blues, vocal pop, folk or country, but forró shares a certain wild spirit and melodic structure that seems most closely related to rock. Forró
is dance music, stemming from a long tradition of weekend barn dances
and social gatherings that began before the turn of the 20th Century. Gonzaga was instrumental in bringing it to the masses in the 1940s. Although some forró can be lyrically provocative with double entendre, it is enjoyed by people of all ages in
Brazil. The music isn't exclusionary. Although rock has a
similar energy and is also loved by people of all ages, the music seems to be
eternally tied to its forever young, rebellious roots from its earliest
incarnation in the 1950s. Rock has gotten more age-ist, elitist, angry and exclusionary over the years. Most popular rock music these days isn't particularly fun. If a rock band is fun, it is usually scorned for it. The purpose of forró is
to get people dancing, courting and having fun. The rock world has a Spartan habit of glorifying and encouraging early death, as if this is the rule for energetic and vital music. Forró is proof that artists who make lively music don't have to fade away gracefully. Daquele Jeito may be Luiz Gonzaga's artistic peak. His brief vacation from RCA Records in 1973 & 1974, which had been his home since the 1940s, gave the artist a chance to work in different studios with new engineers, producers and songwriters. EMI/Odeon was an excellent match. Luiz Gonzaga 1973 (featured in my first forrolpgringo blog entry) and Daquele Jeito (1974) are fantastic records. Sadly, these were his only 2 for the label. RCA must have been comfortable label, because he headed back to them after 1974. Gonzaga made good records after 1974, but nothing that really matched the quality of his EMI / Odeon recordings.
I am a big fan of the EMI sound from the 60s and the 70s. Studios were standardized, so they same gear the Beatles were using in London was also used in EMI studios in Lagos, India or parts of Brazil. In short, anywhere that EMI's arm reached, which was virtually everywhere, you'd find EMI studios with the same recording equipment. The EMI sound added punch, but Gonzaga's performances and song selection were equally stellar.
Sangue De Nordestino, Retrato De UmForró and E Sem Querer are knockout, show-stoppers from Daquele Jeito, arguably the last truly great LP from Luiz Gonzaga.
Luiz Gonzaga and Jr. (from http://www.revistacontinente.com.br/blog/?p=1105)
Luiz Gonzaga - O Fole Roncou from his self titled (1973) EMI / Odeon LP
This is the song that got me interested in collecting forró LPs, thanks to David Byrne and Luaka Bop's wonderful Brazil Classics Volume 3. Elvis
Presley is the king of rock n’ roll. Luiz Gonzaga is considered the
king of forró, and the most celebrated performer to ever popularize
northeastern Brazilian music. Gonzaga and Presley have interesting
parallels. Both released the majority of their work for RCA. They
recorded artistic triumphs, but a good portion of their back catalogues
consisted of lousy, mediocre, dull records. Both men had competitors
that may have been more deserving of the title “king.” Elvis had worthy
contemporaries, like Little Richard and Chuck Berry, who were as
innovative, and arguably more innovative, than he was. Luiz Gonzaga’s
primary rival was Jackson do Pandeiro, who’s recorded output was nearly
25 years shorter and perhaps superior to Gonzaga’s. But Gonzaga, like
Presley, made incredible, unforgettable records and deserves to be
lauded.
Luiz
Gonzaga’s 1973 contains one of the finest single forró songs ever
recorded, O Fole Roncou. Although this was not his most famous song,
it’s blazing energy and production make it sound like the most
contemporary song in his catalog. I love the scratchy guitar! Dig the fret buzz during the last few riffs.
The lyrics are also wonderful... a rough translation... The bellowsroaredat the topof the mountain Cabroeiramy land He climbedthe hillandwasplaying
Zehole,Sickle-Foot, ChicoManco MaleGoat, WhiteGoat Everyonewasplaying CrazyMary, Margaretwith the Beautiful Flowers Verysadin the window, didn't dance, I didnotenter
Like
Jackson Do Pandeiro, Gonzaga recorded his most interesting albums when
he left the record label that had been his home for most of his career.
Gonzaga had been with RCA for 33 years when he briefly left for two
albums for Odeon, a subsidiary of EMI. Luiz Gonzaga Jr. was signed to
Odeon. I have never read an account of why he made this choice. I can
only speculate that Gonzaga Sr. was encouraged by his son or excited by
the prospect of recording with a different team. Producer Milton
Miranda gave Gonzaga’s 1973 LP and the 1974 follow up, Daquele Jeito, the
executive treatment. The albums have the EMI sound, most notably heard
on Beatles albums, because EMI standardized its’ world studios. It was common practice for an EMI studio in Brazil, West Africa or Australia
to have the same gear as Abbey Road. Luiz Gonzaga’s records on RCA
were notoriously conservative, usually favoring the most traditional
instrumentation of forró and baiãothat
he helped established. The instrumentation on the Odeon LPs was
diversified considerably to include electric guitars and bass, wide
stereo mixes and plenty of additional percussion and horns. Miranda did
everything that he could to nurture these recordings of the forró king.
Song for song, Gonzaga ‘73 is not a perfect album. Daquele Jeito is probably the better of the two LPs. Still, the album contains some of Gonzaga's best songs.
The
kings of forró are Luiz Gonzaga and Jackson do Pandeiro. Both men
were from the northeast of Brazil. Gonzaga was from the rural farming
village of Caicara and Jackson came from the coastal city of Paraíba.
It would be simplistic to call Gonzaga the ruralist and Jackson the
urbanite. Both found fame and fortune by taking northeastern music to
big city audiences. Both men were sophisticated writers and consummate
performers.
Gonzaga and Jackson had long recording careers, stretching back to the days when 78 rpm
records were the main musical exchange commodity. Gonzaga began
recording in 1940. Most of his catalogue is on RCA, except for a brief
and fruitful stint on Odeon in 1973 and 1974. Jackson do Pandeiro’s
first release came in 1953. He subsequently recorded for multiple
labels, but his longest period was on Philips from 1960 to 1970. Most
of Gonzaga’s catalogue has been respectfully reissued with original
artwork, both on LP and CD. Jackson do Pandeiro’s catalogue has
received relatively poor treatment. A few of his original albums have
been reissued properly, but the majority of his work has been relegated
to slapdash compilation CDs.
The
2 men have been immortalized as bronze statues performing together in
Campina Grande, Paraíba. Gonzaga is playing his trademark piano
accordion and wearing his famous flipped taco-shaped Lampião the
cangaço* hat. Jackson is dancing and playing the pandeiro**, a
drum/tambourine from which his moniker was derived. Although this may
give the impression of unity, the performers never recorded together and
were stylistically different.
Luiz
Gonzaga’s status as musical historian and celebrated performer is
unparalleled. He is known as the man who popularized and even defined
the styles of music called forró and baião. In terms of influence, Luiz
Gonzaga is to Brazil like Alan Lomax, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie and
Leadbelly are combined
in the US. Gonzaga was a powerful figure in northern Brazil. Legend
has it that he was even able to stop violence between two rival clans by
giving a performance. No one else, outside of religious icons, were
held in such reverence by the people of the northeast. He continued to
play the types of music he helped to popularize until his death in 1989
at the age of 77.
Jackson
do Pandeiro had career highs and lows, but was not in equal standing,
in terms of stature, with Gonzaga when he passed away in 1982 at the age
of 62. His reputation has grown since his death.
Some of this is thanks to the Tropicalia crowd, Gilberto Gil in
particular, who recorded Jackson’s songs and cited his influence.
During his lifetime, northeastern musicians like Genival Lacerda,
Abdias, Elino Julião, Osvaldo Oliveira, Os 3 Nordeste, Messias Holanda
and Jacinto Silva rubbed shoulders with, and wanted to be like, Jackson
do Pandeiro. Why?
Jackson wrote and interpreted excellent songs and released
extraordinary records.
Jackson was the son of a coco singer named Flora Mourão,
Jackson’s mastery of that style and killer vocal phrasing mixed with the
samba, forró, marchas and virtually every other northeastern form gave
his records depth and diversity. Although successful, Jackson was not
wealthy and never had the luxury of resting on his laurels. Jackson’s
records never declined in quality. He is still lauded as the most
exciting performer ever from the northeast of Brazil. Song for song,
Jackson do Pandeiro’s catalogue remains second to none.
*Lampião is a legendary bandit from the Brazilian northeast. The distinctive outfits of the cangaceiros
(men of cangaço-bandits) have been adopted by many groups that play
forró music. Like the bandits of the Old West in the United States and
the bank robbers of the Great Depression, Lampião is considered a folk
hero by some and a terrorist/rapist/thief by others. He was eventually
captured and beheaded, along with his gang. This was photographed for
posterity, looking like a cross between a Mexican Day Of The Dead shrine
and a gruesome display of headhunter spoils.
**A pandeiro is a tambourine with jingles and a membrane played with distinct rhythm in many types of Brazilian music.
