Forro In The Dark

Early in its life, Forro in the Dark drew an all-star roster of fans, including David Byrne, Miho Hatori and Bebel Gilberto. That kind of adulation can send a group to an early grave, but Forro in the Dark seem to be standing up to the pressure. Formed when a group of friends got together to play music during a birthday party, the band was ad hoc from the outset, a group of Brazilian expats interpreting the traditional forro (pronounced "foh-ho") music of northern Brazil. While traditional forro utilizes just a triangle, bass drum and accordion, Forro in the Dark replaced the accordion with a flute and brought in a host of other instruments to flesh out the sound. The group thrives on instrumentals, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't sing more often: Their raspy voices evoke fellow countryman Seu Jorge (who's sung with them, incidentally). Originally a trio, the group expanded to six, including guitarist Smokey Hormel, who's worked with big names including Beck and Mick Jagger and undoubtedly brought the group some of its celebrity luster.