Trio Nortista - Ding-Ding from Se Eu Te Contar, É Chato - Musicolor (1979)

Trio Nortista created a number of excellent LPs for numerous labels beginning in the 1960s on Mocambo. This is my favorite version of the group featuring singer Jonas de Andrade. 

Trio Nortista - Se Eu Te Contar, É Chato - Musicolor (1979)

Sebastião Silva - Congá Do Bomfim from As 12 Mais Do Nordeste - Maraca (1960s)

Maraca was the great independent forró compacto (single) label of the 1960s. As far as I am aware, they never released 78rpm records and only pressed three LPS, As Mais Do Nordeste (a collection of previously issued singles), a gaucho LP by Cachoeira E Cachoeirinha and a Marinalva album. It seems that the Marinalva LP never made it past the test pressing stage. Final LPs with Maraca labels exist, but none with a Maraca sleeve. As 12 Mais Do Nordeste was issued twice, once with an earlier label and later with an updated one. Sebastião Silva's Congá Do Bomfim may be one of the great compacto classics from Maraca. Luckily, it was issued as both a single and re-released on this LP. Like all Maraca compactos, the original is quite scarce.

As 12 Mais Do Nordeste - Maraca (1960s)

As 12 Mais Do Nordeste - Maraca (1960s)

Jota Fonseca - Côco Da Roseira (1962) from Sucessos Dos Maiores Cantores Nordestinos - Premier (1973)

Côco Da Roseira is another epic 78rpm saved from extinction by one of a handful of compilations from the 1960s and early 1970s. Jota Fonseca was amazing and straddled the line between the end of the 78rpm and final acceptance of vinyl as primary format for music. 1962 is fairly late for a new 78rpm release in any territory. 

Sucessos Dos Maiores Cantores Nordestinos - Premier (1973)

Francisco Barreto - Mina Palhoça (samba) from Oh! Meu Imenso Amor - Disco Lar (1970)

A chattery vintage samba is nice way to start December. Although this is not forró, it is easy to hear how subtle the difference was between the genres could be. This was especially true for Jackson Do Pandeiro, who was a master at both styles. Mina Palhoça stands up and fits in with many of the tunes uploaded to this blog.

Francisco Barreto - Oh! Meu Imenso Amor - Disco Lar (1970)

Carlos Diniz - Côco Do Tibiribe (1963) from Nordeste Cabra Da Peste - Mocambo (1968)

Carlos Diniz's short career seems to be confined to the 1960s. The Dicionário Cravo Albin Da Musica Popular Brazileira lists his first release as a 78rpm on Chantecler in 1960 followed by 5 more on Mocambo over the next four years. Many of these appeared on the Mocambo coletânea LP series called Viva São João, but the 1963 release Côco Do Tibiribe, is on a one-off Mocambo LP called Nordeste Cabra Da Peste. Côco Do Tibiribe is a joyful slice of northeastern côco that seems strikingly similar to Jacinto Silva's 1965 CBS classic Puxa o Fole Zé from Ritmo Explosivo.

Nordeste Cabra Da Peste - Mocambo (1968)

Abdias - Fiz Pra Você from Segura O Pé De Bode - CBS (1967)

Thanks to his status as forró boss and A&R man at CBS, Abdias' Segura O Pé De Bode LP is one of at least 17 LPs Abdias recorded for CBS between 1965 and 1977. This does not include releases for labels before and after this period. His catalog is formidable. Although excellent, many of his albums a purely instrumental. Fiz Pra Você is a lively number featuring bandolim. I believe this group backed many of the forró recording stars that came to CBS studios, although Jackson do Pandeiro chose to keep his own musicians after one session. 

Abdias - Segura O Pé De Bode - CBS (1967)

Zacarias - É Crime Não Saber Ler from Sucessos Dos Maiores Cantores Nordestinos - Premier (1973) (originally 78rpm 1961)

It was a challenge to find information related to the original release of É Crime Não Saber Ler by Zacarias, although there is a mention of the tune on Dicionário Carvo Albin Da Musica Popular Brasileira stating that it was released in 1961 and penned by Zacarias himself. However, this discografia mixes two completely different Zacarias artists. The forró Zacarias is not the same person as Zaccarias the guitarist.

Sucessos Dos Maiores Cantores Nordestinos is a compilation of out of print 78 rpm singles from a variety of late 50s and early 60s northeastern heavy hitters. This LP compilation came out in 1973. Like Carlos Galindo, Zacarias was another artist with no retrospective LP or CD collection of his original work from his 78 rpm period. He only appears on two compilation LPs.

Sucessos Dos Maiores Cantores Nordestinos - Premier (1973)