Jacobina, o Japonês do Forró

Jacobina, o Japonês do Forró came from Jacobina, Bahia, born in 1964. He grew up with forró, the traditional dance music of Brazil's northeast, but a trip to Japan in the late 1980s introduced him to Japanese pop melodies. When he returned to Brazil, he started mixing those sounds with forró. In 1996 he put out his first album, 'Forró Japonês,' and a track from it called 'Cachaceiro' got some attention.

His music didn't sit right with everyone at first. Some forró traditionalists weren't sure about the blend. He kept at it, and over time his recordings found listeners. He's made more than twenty albums, with titles like 'Forró Japonês 2,' 'Doce Amor,' and 'Xote dos Sonhos.' Songs like 'Eita Que Forró do Bom' and 'Novinha' show his approach, forró rhythms with a different melodic feel.

He works with a band that includes João Neto on accordion, Raimundo on bass, Nivaldo on drums, and Cícero on percussion. He's also recorded with Luiz Gonzaga and Gilberto Gil. The music doesn't try to be purely traditional; it's forró that picked up something from another place and kept moving.