José Novaes

José Novaes came from Monsenhor Tabosa, a small town in Ceará, and taught himself to play accordion as a teenager. In the early 1950s, he joined Trio Nordestino, a group that helped bring forró to wider attention. His song 'A Pipa do Vô' came out in 1959 and became one of those tunes that just stuck around, played at parties and festivals long after its release.

Some of his lyrics had a humor that could ruffle feathers, with double meanings that didn't sit well with everyone. He kept writing that way anyway, through songs like 'A Única Mulher' and 'As Más Linguas.' The music wasn't trying to be polite. It was forró, meant for dancing and laughing.

He worked with other musicians from that northeastern scene, including Luiz Gonzaga and Dominguinhos. The records kept coming through the 1960s and into the 1970s, with titles like 'Forró de Novaes' and 'O Rei do Forró.' What people remember isn't a dramatic story so much as the sound of his accordion and those songs that never really left the air.