Forro is a kind of music that’s as lively and varied as the arguments for the origins of its own name. Some say it comes from the word for party, roughly, forrobodo, although there are many who insist it’s just a local pronunciation of the English “for all” dances. It could also come from the Hungarian word for “hot,” as it was coined at a time when many were coming to Brazil from Hungary. Heat, parties, and dancing are all part of it, and although many will attribute its origins to Luis Gonzaga , it dates back at least 80 years prior to the 1940s, when he made it popular in Rio.
It’s a form that draws on multiple cultures, with a strong bass line that’s got European rhythm, along with a tremendous syncopation that couldn’t have origins anywhere but in West Africa. It’s fitting for the city, where Rio de Janeiro hotels draw people from all over the world to a city that’s a multi-cultural blend of everything in the world.
It’s hard to avoid the pull of the forro , even for those hearing it for the first time. A few steps into the music, and it makes sense why this has been the music of choice in areas, where the people decided they wanted to keep dancing until the dark of the night saw the first moment of the sun in the next day.
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