It is time for a classic this week! I love Os 3 Do Nordeste, but I have not posted any of their music for a long time. Três Para Xaxá is a supercharged callout and a wonderful recording from the peak of 70s CBS forró.
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)
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)
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)
Another rarity today from the DEX. Seleção Nordestina was a various artist compilation, called a coletânea. Terezinha's tune is a standout. There are several artists named Terezinha that were recording in this era and I am not sure if this is one that had a recording career beyond this comp. I also heard from a collector friend that DEX was a label for hire, meaning the label would put out records for artists that fronted the money. I cannot verify this at the moment, but would love to know a bit more about the history of this somewhat mysterious label.
This compacto from Os Pernambuquinhos is very obscure. Unfortunately, I have very little information about this act. This compacto was most likely released in the 1960s. As far as I am aware, this is the only release from this group. I would welcome more information. Os Pernambuquinhos - Dois Amores (baião) - Uirapurú compacto (1960s)
There are two different Trio Nordestinos. This version is from Salvador. After the Trio left CBS in the mid 1970s, they recorded primarily for Copacabana throughout the late 70s and early 80s. Unlike aging rock bands, Trio Nordestino seemed to become more rocking, albeit playing forró, over the years. Chinelo De Rosinha is a great example of the band that they became. Trio Nordestino - Chinelo De Rosinha from Os Rouxinhos Da Bahia - Copacabana (1978)
