Forro in the Dark (Brazil)

With a line-up of four New York-based Brazilian musicians, Forro in the Dark transformed the rural party style “forró” into a global dance phenomenon.

July 30, 2010 | Beach Stage | 02h30

Forró is the hip-swiveling, dancefloor-filling, rural party music of Brazil’s northeastern states. And Forro in the Dark is the collective of four New York-based Brazilian expats who are updating this traditional sound for the 21st century. The skeleton of the band’s sound is the syncopated rhythms of forró, – xote, baião and arrasta-pé – which are familiar to Brazilians as the toe-tapping backdrop to a long workday, a folk party in the Northeast, and the sound spilling out from dance halls in the wee hours. The upbeat tunes contrast with the lyrics’ serious themes: Forró songs romanticize the harsh and unforgiving sertão of Brazil’s northeast, giving voice to the migrant’s melancholy lament and the country bandit’s ballad. Forro in the Dark pays homage to this playful and emotional genre’s rich history, while also making party music for today’s global village. The result is a signature sound that grafts dub, indie rock, funk, jazz and even country & western swing onto forró’s sturdy roots. It’s a sexy, globalized groove that’s entirely their own – and which has been seducing New Yorkers onto the dance floor for years now.

http://www.myspace.com/forrointhedark
http://www.forrointhedark.com

Jorge Continentino: sax, flute, vocals
Guilherme Monteiro: guitar, vocals
Davi Vieira: percussion, vocals
Mauro Refosco: zabumba, vocals
Zé Grey: bass, vocals