Carlos Diniz - O Pinto Piou, Pá Pul (baião) & Côco No Rio from Forró Do Bom - Rozenblit (1968)

Databases and discographies for forró artists are improving, but haven't been as heavily researched as they need to be. My information about the careers of many of these folks is woefully incomplete. Alas, much of the information from this blog will be revised as more complete histories are published.

What is starting to surface is how intertwined the work may have been. While I knew that there was a tight scene around forró, suggested by the cross-collaborative nature of 1970s CBS records, it seems to be traditional for forró musicians to collaborate and cross-pollinate. Many people like Pedro Sertanejo, Abdias and Carlos Diniz may have been producers, engineers, label owners, songwriters, collaborators and session musicians. Forró from at least the 1950s through the 1970s, seemed to be similar to scenes in Nashville or Los Angeles, with lots of the same brilliant session players popping up on multiple records. Forró was more traditional, like the country Nashville scene, and never got quite as weird as the more experimental records coming out of LA in the 1960s.

Carlos Diniz's career as a recording artist spanned from the late 1950s on 78rpm (some reissued on compilation LPs) until the late 1960s with a string of great compactos and a single LP. Forró Do Bom is one of the stronger albums from the period. Diniz also collaborated with and/or wrote songs for a number of important artists from the day, including Luiz Gonzaga, Gordurinha, Zé Gonzaga, Trio Nordestino and Trio Nortista, indicating that he continued working into the early 1970s.

Carlos Diniz - Côco No Rio from Forró Do Bom - Rozenblit (1968)

Carlos Diniz - Pá Pul (baião) from Forró Do Bom - Rozenblit (1968)

Carlos Diniz - O Pinto Piou from Forró Do Bom - Rozenblit (1968)

Carlos Diniz - Rozenblit (1968)

Zito Borborema - Vocé Não Faz O Que Eu Faça (côco) from O Nordeste Canta - RGE (1957)

Zito Borborema was a member of Jackson Do Pandeiro's band before becoming a solo star. He was so beloved by Jackson that his band was named after Borborema. As compliments go, this must be the ultimate and speaks volumes about Zito's talent and... perhaps... charm? Vocé Não Faz O Que Eu Faça (côco) is another great track from this 10" collection of 78rpms on RGE. Several collections of material from this period were subsequently released, but Vocé Não Faz O Que Eu Faça only appears on this 10".

Zito Borborema - Vocé Não Faz O Que Eu Faça (côco) from O Nordeste Canta - RGE (1957)

Trio Nordestino - Pau De Arara É A Vovozinha from Os Grandes Sucessos Do - Magazine (orig 1964)

I have been a bit slow to post lately. Apologies! Lots of new content is on the way. Pau De Arara É A Vovozinha is a great one from Trio Nordestino from their 1964 LP of the same title. The original LP featured the group on the tarmac looking like they are ready to conquer the world. Like the other early to mid-60s Trio Nordestino LPs, the albums were reissued a number of times over the years. This is fortunate for Trio Nordestino and fans of great forró.

Azulão (Caruarú) - Essa Mulher Luxa Demais from O Baque Da Cancela - Esquema (1978)

Azulão de Caruarú, like Zenilton and often Luiz Gonzaga, usually has at least several solid tracks on every album. O Baque Da Cancela is no exception. Essa Mulher Luxa Demais is a great swinger featuring Camarão on accordion and Azulão's trademark relaxed delivery.

Azulão (Caruarú) - O Baque Da Cancela - Esquema (1978)

Sebastião Do Rojão - Entrei De Gaiato (baião) from O Balanço Da Mulata - Chantecler (1964)

There is a lot of humor in forró, but also a history of clowning in the genre. Perhaps the prince of this is Genival Lacerda, but there was a large group of cheeky northeasterners including Luiz Wanderley, Gordurinha, and Coronel Ludru who were certainly going for laughs at times. Even Jackson Do Pandeiro can be seen sporting a Lampião outfit and having a bit of fun on the silver screen. I don't generally think of Sebastião Do Rojão as a clown, but the sleeve of O Balanço Da Mulata suggests a man who is up to some tomfoolery. Regardless of marketing, the LP is full of excellent songs including the wonderful Entrei De Gaiato (baião) featured this week.

Sebastião Do Rojão -
O Balanço Da Mulata - Chantecler (1964)

Trio Mossoró - Quero Ver Se Não Vai Dar from Terra de Santa Luzia - Cantagalo (1968)

Past 1970, it is rare that to find mixed-gender forró groups. However, there were a few combos in the 1950s and 1960s, like Trio Marabá and Marinés e Süa Gente, that performed baioes (sometimes spelled baiãos) and forró. Trio Marabá harkened back to the group sound of the 1930s and 1940s. Trio Mossoró probably modeled themselves off of the more modern Marinés e Süa Gente, although Trio Mossoró featured male and female vocals and Marinés was the only singer in her group. This was highly unusual. Trio Mossoró records seem to be particularly desirable, thanks to the reputation of their De Norte a Sul LP. 

Trio Mossoró - Terra de Santa Luzia - Cantagalo (1968)

Mané Baião E Seus Cangaceiros - A Mangabeira from ST LP - Continental (1966)

Mané Baião E Seus Cangaceiros is a wonderful and rare 1960s forró LP. While there seem to be a tidal wave of forró LPs from the 1970s, the 1960s seem to have a tenth of what would appear in the following decade, perhaps due to the derailing of Brazil by the military takeover. Mané Baião began his career at the tail-end of the 78rpm era in the early 1960s, but managed to transition to compactos and vinyl LPs during the drought-like 1960s.

 

Mané Baião E Seus Cangaceiros - Continental (1966)