Forró

Forró (foe-ho) music is a type of folk music that is also very popular in the northeast of Brazil. Forró music is normally themed with romance, passion, jealousy, etc. as the main subject of the lyrics. Usually only three instruments are used to play forró music, the accordion, a drum, and a triangle. These instruments play the same pattern over and over in order to make very rhythmic song (see media). They are so rhythmic that once the lyrics of one song ends the instruments do not even stop playing, they will just slightly switch patterns or rhythms and a new song will start. Dancing can go on for hours in this way!

To listen to a sample of forró music go to iTunes and look up forró music and many selections should come up. Any of the songs will be fine. Most songs do sound alike because they use the same three instruments to create a beat and rhythm. There is also a link that will take you to Brazilian radio station site. It sometimes plays forró music:

www.siderallmidia.com.br/

A theory for the name "forró" is thought to have come from the english expression of "for all." Brazilians are said to have gotten this expression from americans stationed in an air force base in the Brazilian northeastern city of Natal. But the theory that puts forró as a derivative of forrobodó, meaning "great party" or "commotion" is likely the real way that forró received its name.