‘Music for Maids’: Title Gives Album an Edge

It’s rare that an album’s title alone is enough to persuade you to listen to it. But it’s hard not to be intrigued by the teasing title of a new CD collection of Brazilian music from Rounder Records: “Brazil: Forro / Music for Maids and Taxi Drivers.”

Album coordinator Gerald Seligman’s liner notes explain the title’s origin. He writes: “A Brazilian friend of mine was aghast. ‘Forro! You must be kidding. That’s what maids listen to, what taxi drivers listen to.’ ”

Seligman was so amused by his friend’s reaction that he borrowed some of it for the title of this 38-minute collection of forro, which he describes as “roots music, the unvarnished rock and roll of the Brazilian northeast.”

As the liner notes further suggest, there is a strong similarity between the warm, relaxed, accordion-driven forro style (pronounced faw-RAW) and the equally disarming, joyful spirit of the Louisiana zydeco strains popularized by such artists as Buckwheat Zydeco and the late Clifton Chenier.

“Forro is the music of choice at weekend revels which break up the hard life of the workers,” Seligman writes. “It is played everywhere they are, even at the weekly fairs held throughout Brazil, where displaced northeasterners, who have tried to flee the poverty and governmental neglect characteristic of their region, meet to buy wares and drink, eat and listen to music.”

Most of the forro musicians, including some of those featured on the album, hold day jobs and only play on weekends or when asked. Only Jose Orlando--of the artists featured on the album--is relatively well-off, Seligman says. Orlando owns an amplified pickup truck that he uses as a mobile stage for touring. He is joined on this richly inviting collection by Toinho de Alagoas, Duda da Passira and Heleno Dos Oito Baixos.

CLOSER TO HOME: If “Brazil: Forro” renews your appetite for the wonderfully appealing Cajun and zydeco sounds featured in the film “The Big Easy,” Rhino Records spotlights that music in a most attractive CD titled “Alligator Stomp.”

The collection, featuring four bonus tracks, begins with Rockin’ Sidney’s “My Toot-Toot,” probably the best known zydeco hit of the ‘80s. The tune was also recorded by Jean Knight, who had a Top 50 pop hit with it, and John Fogerty.

Other artists on the 18-song, 49-minute package include Clifton Chenier, Jo-El Sonnier, Rusty and Doug (the Kershaw brothers), Beausoleil and Queen Ida.

IN PRINT: Schwann has discontinued its monthly CD catalogue in favor of a series of new publications. InMusic is a monthly magazine that lists new releases--CD, vinyl and cassette--from all fields, pop and rock to jazz and classical. Besides listing the song titles and other information about the new releases, the magazine offers additional features, including a few reviews.

Spectrum, the second publication, is a quarterly that lists all available pop, rock, county, soul and jazz albums, while Opus is a quarterly that will list available classical product. Both catalogues will include sound track albums and Broadway cast albums. InMusic sells for $2, while Spectrum and Opus costs $4.95 and $5.95 respectively. Information may be obtained by phoning (800) 937-3513.