There isn't a name more closely tied to Brazilian forro than Luiz Gonzaga. Born in the Northeastern town of Caiçara, Pernambuco, Gonzaga was a major figure in bringing forro to a national audience across Brazil. The fast paced dance music of Brazil's northeast is centered around three instruments, the accordion, a bass drum called zambubma, and a metal triangle. One of nine children, Luiz Gonzaga grew up in Caiçara's rural farming community, learning to play the accordion and zambubma as a teenager in his spare time from his father, Januário Jose Dos Santos. In 1930, young Luiz left home to join the army, where he played in a military band.

Following a 9-year stint in the army band, Gonzaga moved to Rio where he began performing on the streets and in clubs, a mix of waltzes and tangos. There, Gonzaga discovered a huge population of Brazilian northeasterners yearning for nostalgic music of their childhood. He then began performing forro for larger and larger audiences. In 1941, he made his first recording for RCA-BMG, a 78rpm record with four instrumental forros. By the mid-1940s, his recording career in full swing, Gonzaga launched a popular radio program. At was at this time that the Gonzaga's fast paced forro dance rhythm called baião had become a national craze. In 1950, Gonzaga even made it to Hollywood, singing his forro anthem, Asa Branca alongside Carmen Miranda in the film, "Nancy Goes to Rio." The decades that followed saw European tours and even a concert for Pope John Paul II in 1981.

Luiz Gonzaga died on August 2, 1990 in Recife, Brazil, having recorded nearly 40 full length albums and over a hundred recordings in a career spanning six decades. Carrying on the family forro mantle is his accordion player son, Gonzaguinha. Gonzaga's storied career was profiled in the 1996 book, "Vida de Viajante - a Saga de Luiz Gonzaga" (Life of a traveler, the saga of Luiz Gonzaga) by Dominique Dreyfus with a preface by Gilberto Gil. Gonzaga's music also lives on as scores of Brazilians continue to cover his songs. In the past decade, there have even been three Luiz Gonzaga tribute albums.

Contributed by: Dan Rosenberg