The term forro is actually a corruption of the English expression, "For All." In the 19th Century, British companies organized public dances for its employees in Recife, and the name stuck, sort of. Traditionally, Forro is played by trios consisting of an accordion, percussion, and a metal triangle. In a land of sexy dances, the forro tops them all, even Brazil's most famous movement, the samba. The forro is danced by couples - twisting, turning, grinding and gyrating, joined only at the pelvis. The genre was pioneered by legendary musicians such as Luiz Gonzaga and Jackson do Pandiero in Brazil's northeast. Over the past two generations, it has become possible to hear the music throughout Brazil, especially in mega-cities such as Rio and São Paulo, as a result of a huge migration of northeasterners to these cities in search of jobs. Gerald Seligman's compilation for Rounder Records provided a perfect description: "Forro - Music for Maids and Taxi Drivers". In recent years, not only northeastern artists have been performing forro. Artists as diverse as sambista Alcione and Salvador de Bahia's Olodum have regularly included a few forro tracks on their albums.

-Dan Rosenberg

Compilation Discography:

"Music for Maids and Taxi Drivers" - Rounder Records

"Brazil Classics 3: Forro" - Luaka Bop Records