Pagode

Pagode (Portuguese pronunciation: [paˈɡɔdʒi]) is a Brazilian style of music which originated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , as a subgenre of Samba. Pagode originally meant a celebration with much food, music, dance and party. In 1978, singer Beth Carvalho was introduced to this music, liked it from the beginning and recorded tracks by Zeca Pagodinho and others. Over time, "Pagode" has been used by many commercial groups who have included a version of the music filled with clichés, and there is now a sentiment that the term is a pejorative for "very commercial pop music" (see Pagode Romântico).

Original Pagode developed at the beginning of the 1980s, with the advent of the band Fundo de Quintal and the introduction of new instruments in the classical samba formation. Pagode lyricism also represented a kind of evolution towards the tradition of malicious and ironic samba lyrics, with a much heavier use of slang and underground terms.

The 4-string banjo, whose introduction is mostly credited to Almir Guineto, has a different and louder sound than the cavaco; that loudness was an advantage in acoustic environments (samba circle), where there are many percussion instruments and people singing along. The 4-string banjo is one of the most characteristic instruments of the pagode sound.

Pagode (music)

Pagode is a type of Brazilian country-folk traditional style of music. It is also known as Moda de viola, or less popular names such as Cipó Preto (black liana), Pagode caipira (rural pagode) or Pagode sertanejo (folk pagode). Sertanejo means anything that comes from the back-country, outback or simply the countryside. This style of music was pioneered by musicians Tião Carreiro and Lourival dos Santos in the late 1950s, when they fused the "Coco" and "Calango de roda" rhythms. Although other instruments can be added, it is much characterized by its simple, acoustic approach, with the use of just one or two viola guitars, often accompanied by an acoustic guitar and, at times, a light percussion section. An instructure commonly used in this genre is the intercalation of verses sung without any accompaniment and notes in the viola. Pieces can be entirely instrumental or have one or two singers, usually: when there are two lead vocals (that can be men, women or a combination), they sing together on a steady interval. The metrics used are usually of five or seven-syllable roundels, and in presentations, songs quite often are linked together, on a medley. Another notable feature are its lyrics, that tend to portray the everyday life of country people, telling stories about simple life, nature, love, booze, animals and so on.