The accordion
is most popular in Nordeste, and in southern Brazil. It arrived
from Portugal in the nineteenth century, and with Italian immigrants
earlier in the twentieth century.
The music in Nordeste (called "forro") revolved
around the accordion, and inhabitants often left to find jobs
playing in other parts of the country. Nordeste has many musical
styles, including the baiào, the xote,
and the sanfonas, which was played firstly on the diatonic
accordion, and later on the chromatic.
In Nordeste music, the African rhythmic sounds and the European
instruments are played in an Indian chant style. Lyrics speak
of everyday life, work, emigration and love lost. Accompanying
the accordion are sanfonas, the triangle, and the zabumba.
Antenogenes Silva recorded on the accordion in the 1940s-1960s.
Other notable accordionists were Uccio Gaete and Alberto Calcada.
Augusta Ozari was one of the few Brazilian women to play the
accordion around this time.
Sivuca has helped promote the chromatic accordion in Brazil.
His style is a mixture of Brazilian folk music, forro,
samba, bossa nova, and all types of jazz.
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