When I hit the road for Brazil to unearth the various musical styles of this music-rich land I was already acquainted with a few musical styles such as Samba, Bossa Nova, Lambada, Capoeira and Xote. However, I knew the music of Brazil is as diverse and multicultural as its population and I had just scratched the surface of the rich world of Brazilian music. Thirsty to encounter as much local music as possible in a one month period, I conducted extensive research and took advice from local friends. Bahia stood out as the best place to find an extensive variety of music and dance forms, thanks to it being a cultural hub of African, European and Indigenous roots. Among all music and dance nights in Bahia, one particular beach party in Itacaré marks a milestone in my life where I found my reason for existence in this world; a titillating dance called Forró (pronounced “Fo-ho”).
Although my passion for Forró was born in this beautiful town of Itacaré, it is not the place where Forró was actually born. Forró emerged as a popular local festival in the state of Pernambuco, in northeast Brazil. It also refers to the dance practiced at these parties previously known as arrasta-pé. Forró is influenced by both various regional musical rhythms, such as baião and xaxado as well as European dances like quadrilha and xote, imported by the Portuguese.
The lead singer and accordionist of the San Francisco based Forró band Forró Brazuca goes by the name of Francelino. Hailing from Pernambuco, he grew up in the culture of Forró. According to him, the name Forró actually refers to the English saying ‘For All’, but mis-pronounced in Portuguese. ‘For all’ was the name of a dance saloon opened in the city of Rio Grande Do Norte to attract the wealthy North Americans working at the local U.S. military base during the Second World War. It was named ‘For all’ to imply that everyone was invited to come partake in local festivities. Other sources, likewise relate the story to British engineers who came to Pernambuco to build Great Western Railway. But actually, the word Forró existed in the music history since 1937 as a recording of "Forró na roça", a composition of Manuel Queirós e Xerém.
Although its exact origin has been lost to time, Forró without a doubt owes its national recognition to Luiz Gonzaga. Born to a family of farmers in Pernambuco, Gonzaga was enchanted by the stories of Lampiao, a notorious bandit and accordion player, a Robin Hood figure in Brazilian folk culture, who stole from the rich to help the poor. Following his admiration of Lampiao, Gonzaga carried a Lampiao style leather hat which became his trademark through the years.
Forró has become a symbol of Festa Junina, aka festa de São João in the northeast cities where most of the cities host big festivals and all-night long parties every night year-round. In the 90s, Forró found its new form, Forró Universitario in São Paulo. Enriched with contemporary instruments like electric guitar, bass and drums Forró found a wider audience in the youth of Brazil’s largest city. This style does differ significantly both musically and in the style of dance from the original forms of Forró.
On my return to Munich from Brazil, the first thing I did was to look up for an opportunity to dance Forró. I was astounded to find out how Forró-rich Europe is. A huge network of Forrózeiros flows from one festival to another in London, Paris, and Lisbon, to name a few. These festivals offer an opportunity for Forró fans of Europe to improve their dancing skills while bringing various Brazilian Forró bands and dance teachers to Europe. This is living proof of how music and dance move from one culture to another and music genres like Forró are formed. ‘Forró tourism’ is becoming a growing form of travel in Europe for those who have fallen in love with Forró as I have.
