Master accordionist Jose Domingos de Morais, aka Dominguinhos (1941-2013) was one of the major figures in modern forro music, and a frequent studio player on a countless number of forro and MPB albums, dating back several decades. In the 1970s, Dominguinhos frequently accompanied Gilberto Gil and was a go-to guy on many of the eclectic albums of the era, by stars such as Maria Bethania, Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso. Here's a quick look at his work...
Dominguinhos "Fim De Festa" (Cantagalo, 1964)
Dominguinhos "Cheinho De Molhos" (Cantagalo, 1965)
Dominguinhos "Tudo Azul" (CBS-Tropicana, 1973)
Dominguinhos "Lamento De Cabloco" (CBS-Tropicana, 1973)
Dominguinhos "O Forro De Dominguinhos" (Phonogram, 1975)
Dominguinhos "Domingo, Meninho Dominguinhos" (Phonogram, 1976)
Dominguinhos "Oi, La Vou Eu" (Phonogram, 1977)
Dominguinhos "O Xente!" (Phonogram, 1978)
Dominguinhos "Apos Ta Certo" (Polygram, 1979)
Dominguinhos "Quem Me Levara Sou Eu" (RCA Victor, 1980)
Dominguinhos "Querubim" (RCA Victor, 1981)
Dominguinhos "A Maravilhosa Musica Brasileira" (RCA Victor, 1982)
Dominguinhos "Simplicidade" (RCA Victor, 1982)
A nice, mellow, pop-forro MPB set, melodic and easy on the ears. There are a couple of too-gooey songs, but mostly this has enough lilt and enough bounce that it makes for good, cheerful, background-ish pop listening. Dominguinhos sounds a little long in the tooth -- almost Burl Ives-ish at times, but that's okay -- this isn't very fiery or challenging, but if you enjoyed his work with Gilberto Gil, you'll probably like this as well.
Dominguinhos "Festejo E Alegria" (RCA Victor, 1983)
Dominguinhos "Isso Aqui Ta Bom Demais" (RCA Camden, 1985)
Dominguinhos "Gostoso Demais" (RCA, 1986)
Dominguinhos "Seu Domingos" (Continental, 1987)
Dominguinhos "E Isso Ai Simples Como A Vida" (Continental, 1988)
Dominguinhos "Veredas Nordestinas" (Continental, 1989)
Dominguinhos "Aqui Ta Ficando Bom" (Continental, 1990)
Dominguinhos "...E Brasil" (BMG-Ariola, 1991)
Dominguinhos "Garanhuns" (RGE, 1992)
Dominguinhos "O Trinado Do Trovao" (RGE, 1993)
Dominguinhos "Choro Chorado" (Warner-Continental, 1994)
Dominguinhos "Nas Quebradas Do Sertao" (Warner-Continental, 1994)
Dominguinhos "...E Tradicao" (Warner-Continental, 1995)
Dominguinhos "Pe De Poeira" (Warner, 1996)
Later work by one of the foremost forro accordionists, Dominguinhos, who has worked with the legendary Luiz Gonzaga, as well various MPB stars, including Gilberto Gil (notably on Gil's fab, mid-1970s album, Refazenda.) This is pretty solid stuff -- a classic, winning formula of catchy, good-natured melodies and propulsive rhythm, although a few tracks are not that engaging... Includes a nice medley of Gonzaga's "Numa Sala de Reboco" and Dominguinhos' own "Eu So Quero Um Xodo," which Gilberto Gil covered in the early '70s).
Dominguinhos & Mozar Terra "Brasil Musical" (Tom Brasil, 1996)
Dominguinhos (& Convidados) "Cantam Luiz Gonzaga" (Velas-Brasil, 1997)
A nice, if somewhat moderately-paced tribute to forro founder Luiz Gonzaga. Guest performers include Gilberto Gil, Daniela Mercury, Joao Bosco and Djavan, as well as lesser-known folks, like Nando Cordel and Marines... It's a pleasant album, but as I mentioned, a bit on the plush side, perhaps reconciling the frantic pace of forro with the more languid, glossy pop ethos of the Velas label. Pretty sweet overall, though.
Dominguinhos "Nas Costas Do Brasil" (Velas, 1998)
Dominguinhos "Voce Vai Ver O Que E Bom" (Velas, 1999)
Dominguinhos "Ao Vivo" (Velas, 2000)
Dominguinhos "Lembrando De Voce" (Sony, 2001)
Dominguinhos "Chegando De Mansinho" (Velas, 2002)
Dominguinhos/Sivuca/Oswaldinho "Cada Um Belisca Um Pouco" (Biscoito Fino, 2004)
Wow! Talk about your accordion music superfests! Three veteran forro stars team up for a giddy, propulsive set of classic forro and baiao instrumentals, all performed at a manic, lightning pace, with each artist adding his own layer to the dense, fast-paced mix. Rhythm piles on rhythm, creating sort of a hyper-syncopation that makes the music simply irresistible. I will readily confess that I often find forro music and (shhhh! don't tell anyone!) accordions themselves a bit monotonous at times, but this is an album that transcends the limitations of the style... It's a really fun, kinda wild little set... well worth checking out!
Dominguinhos & Elba Ramalho "Elba Ramalho & Dominguinhos" (Sony-BMG, 2005)
Dominguinhos "Conterraneos" (Eldorado, 2006)
Dominguinhos & Yamandu Costa "Yamandu + Dominguinhos" (BMG-Ariola, 2007)
Dominguinhos "Millennium" (Philips, 1998)
I imagine this is a pretty solid representation of this second-generation forro star, covering his work from 1988-98... It's pleasant, but a little too soft for me. It's a pity they couldn't include Gilberto Gil's version of "Eu So Quero Um Xodo," which the two recorded together in 1975 -- the version on here is okay, but far too soft by comparison. Anyway, this is okay, but ultimately it didn't hold my attention.
Dominguinhos "Focus: O Essencial De Dominguinhos" (BMG, 1999)
Likewise, this sticks to his poppier side, although there are also several sinuous, funky numbers thrown in that are more reminiscent of his early '70s work with Gilberto Gil. Gil guests on one track ("Abri A Porta"), as do Chico Buarque, Gal Costa and Luiz Gonzaga (on a couple of tracks). These 1979-86 RCA tracks are nicer overall than the later stuff on Polygram. Worth checking out, though some of the stuff seems pretty lightweight.
Dominguinhos "Maxximum" (Sony-BMG, 2004)
Dominguinhos "Warner 30 Anos" (Sony-BMG, 2004)
Dominguinhos "A Arte De..." (Universal, 2005)
