Northeast Brazil music

I'm by no means well acquainted with the music of Brazil's northeast, but I can offer my personal experience of it. First of all, anti-noise laws simply do not apply here. If somebody wants to drive around in a car containing huge speakers, essentially making the whole vehicle a gigantic boom box, then they do so. Such cars are used for street parties, but also advertising and political campaigns.


While waiting for the bus at Palmeiras, I listened to such a boom box next to the station. I think some locals decided to enjoy music with their beers and share it with everybody around. A Brazilian I asked said, yes, this is typical music of the region, of which there are many varieties, forro, serresta, etc. (Please don't ask me to describe them, I only know the names because I've seen them advertised.) The music accompanying the singer has a strong beat from an electronic drum kit but there are acoustic instruments like the accordion (I think). This gives the tune a folksy feel. I find it hard to describe in words; it's something you have to listen to. It's as if your grandpa's square dancing somehow got performed by a techno band. And it sounds strangely compelling; it can go on for much longer than the usual 3 to 5 minute pop song and it feels like it could go in circles forever. And I suspect this is what the dancers do, have a lot of fun twirling around.


My kind of Brazilian music belongs to the wide category of MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira). The tunes I love come from the 60s and 70s. I guess it's analogous to admitting that you like Frank Sinatra if you mention that you like Jobim, et al, to a modern Brazilian.