origin
USA/Brazil

line up
5 musicians on stage

booking territory
Europe

availability
Summer 2012

recent CD
»Light a Candle« 2009

label, distribution
Nublu/Nat Geo Music, ADA Global

Forro in the dark

For those who don’t already know, 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.

»In Brazil, forró literally means party,« says Mauro. »It’s a gathering, a good time. The objective is to make people dance.« Which is exactly what Forro in the Dark have been doing since 2005 at their weekly residence at East Village nightspot Nublu, where their signature blend of down home forró and urban cool have made them one of the city’s must-see buzz bands.

Forro in the Dark is Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Thom Yorke, Bebel Gilberto) on Zabumba and Vocals; Davi Vieira (Carlos Santana, Angelique Kidjo, Sergio Mendes), on Percussion and Vocals; Guilherme Monteiro (Ron Carter, Lila Downs, Jesse Harris) on Guitar and Vocals; and Jorge Continentino (Brazilian Girls, Marisa Monte, Milton Nascimento) on Pifano, Baritone Sax and Vocals. On tour, they are joined by a bass player.