As no doubt many JD readers are fully aware, forró is that slightly lesser known Latin American partner dance (salsa being arguably the most popular and practised), which is fuelled by the characterful sounds of the accordion and the triangle. Continue Reading

Jungle heads out into the field to find the best tips from the world of dance in London

“I got married at forró”, says Aruna de Oliveira Costa. Her statement might sound weird at first, but it represents how something first tried as a matter of curiosity can evolve into a hobby and become an important part of someone’s life – or even to mark the consecration of a relationship, as happened with Aruna. ‘’I went to Brazil on holiday in 2003 and started practicing capoeira. Then I was introduced to forró. I now come here ever since it opened’’. By ‘here’, Aruna’s referring to Forró do Galpão, the weekly party which goes down at Corbet Place on Brick Lane. And that’s where she met her husband. ‘’The place is now part of my life, so when Juca and I decided to get married we chose to celebrate here after the ceremony in Brazil, and the organisers threw us a party’’, she says, in an almost perfect Portuguese, with a little Minas Gerais twang. Continue Reading

Samba
The ultimate symbol of the identity of Brazilian music, samba bears roots in African dances and was developed from Bahian samba rodas (in a round), with the Afro-Brazilian style frequently associated to capoeira. Part of Brazilian Cultural Heritage, samba as it is widely known today was born in Rio, in 1917, and from this came spin-off variations of the style such as samba de gafiera, partido alto and pagode. The essential sound is basically made with string and percussive instruments. Continue Reading