FORROBODÓ - Meet the Band Forró in the Dark

FORRÓ IN THE DARK is a New York-based group that pays special honor to a happy and danceble Brazilian country music style called forró.

First the word to its phonetic: it’s faw-haw. According to legend, the word forró was a mispronunciation of the English words “for all”, dating back to colonial times when British engineers on the Great Western Railway of Brazil threw sumptuous gatherings and invited everyone.

Simple melodies, basic harmonies, driving rhythms and gloomy lyrics romanticizing the harsh sertão of Brazil’s northeast are the elements of this playful genre spread far in the late 1940’s by Luiz Gonzaga who composed “Asa Branca”.

Typically the rustic rural dance music is performed by a three-piece band consisting of accordion, triangle, and a double-headed-drum called zabumba.


Acordeão	Triângulo	Zabumba

FORRÓ IN THE DARK differs somewhat from the traditional sound by combining its upbeat rhythm with elements of rock, folk and jazz.

The band formed by four Brazilian expatriates alternates between the typical components as they include different kinds of guitars and other percussion instruments, such as a drum called timbau and a flute called pífano.


Timbau	Flauta de Pífano

As a group, they demonstrate what an international phenomenon forró has become by bringing a contagious sense of joy to the room whenever they play, inspiring people to dance away their grooves.

FORRÓ IN THE DARK is Mauro Refosco on zabumba, David Vieira on percussion, Guillerme Monteiro on guitar, and Jorge Continentino on pífano flute, sax and vocals.