Northeastern Brazilian Rhythms: 7 Main Musical Styles

Published on June 2, 2020 · Updated on October 18, 2026

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Northeastern Brazilian rhythms at a glance

Rhythm	Where it was born	Main hallmark
Axé	Salvador (BA), 1980s	Bahia’s Carnival and trios elétricos (sound trucks)
Baião	Northeastern sertão (backlands), 1940s	Luiz Gonzaga and “Asa Branca”
Forró	Interior of the Northeast	Accordion, zabumba and triangle; São João
Frevo	Recife (PE), late 19th century	Brass, little umbrellas; UNESCO Heritage
Maracatu	Pernambuco	Alfaias, royal procession and caboclos de lança
Samba de roda	Recôncavo Baiano	Circle, hand clapping and viola; UNESCO Heritage
Xaxado	Sertão of Pernambuco	Dance of Lampião’s cangaceiros (bandits)

Northeastern Brazilian rhythms are among the greatest treasures of Brazilian culture. In this guide, you will discover the 7 main rhythms and musical styles of the Northeast of Brazil (axé, baião, forró, frevo, maracatu, samba de roda and xaxado) and, in addition, other important genres from the region, such as xote, coco, bumba-meu-boi and manguebeat.

After all, the Northeast has nine states, each with its own history and traditions. Therefore, over the centuries, the region created very diverse music that blends Indigenous, African and European roots.

Rhythms and musical styles of the Northeast of Brazil

In fact, many of these rhythms helped shape Brazil’s musical identity, and today they are heard all over the country.

Video about the 7 Northeastern rhythms and musical styles

História do Axé Music10:10

História do Baião03:56

História do Forro Dança e Ritmo05:10

História do Frevo02:16

Maracatu Nação Pernambuco02:39

Estilo e História do Samba de Roda06:07

História do Xaxado05:39

The 7 main Northeastern Brazilian rhythms

Axé
Baião
Forró
Frevo
Maracatu
Samba de roda
Xaxado

1. Axé

Axé is a musical genre that emerged in the 1980s in Salvador, Bahia, linked to Carnival and the trios elétricos (sound trucks). Meanwhile, the name comes from the Yoruba word àṣẹ, which means “energy”, “strength” or “sacred power”.

Above all, the style blends the Bahian frevo of the trios elétricos, the ijexá of the afoxés, the samba-reggae of the blocos afro (Afro-Brazilian Carnival groups) and influences from reggae and Caribbean rhythms. In general, the song “Fricote” by Luiz Caldas, released in 1985, is considered the starting point of the genre.

Thus, with plenty of percussion and easy-to-sing choruses, axé became the great symbol of Bahia’s Carnival and won over Brazil and the world with artists such as Daniela Mercury, Ivete Sangalo and Banda Eva.

2. Baião

In turn, baião is a traditional genre from the Northeastern sertão (backlands) that gained national fame in the 1940s, thanks to Luiz Gonzaga, the “King of Baião“.

Baião is played mainly by a trio of accordion, zabumba (a large bass drum) and triangle. In addition, its lyrics talk about the daily life of the sertanejo (backlands dweller), with themes such as drought, migration and love.

Undoubtedly, the song “Asa Branca” (1947), by Luiz Gonzaga and Humberto Teixeira, became the greatest symbol of the genre. Later, in the 1960s and 1970s, artists such as Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso re-recorded and reinterpreted baião, which also brought it to young people in the big cities.

3. Forró

Forró is, at the same time, a party, a dance and a set of musical genres that includes baião, xote and arrasta-pé.

First of all, born in the interior of the Northeast, traditional forró, called forró pé de serra, is played by trios of accordion, zabumba and triangle. Over time, variations emerged such as forró universitário, electronic forró and, more recently, piseiro, which use keyboards and modern instruments.

Although it is closely tied to the June festivals, forró is danced all year round. Even so, its peak comes during the São João celebrations in cities such as Campina Grande (PB), Caruaru (PE) and Juazeiro do Norte (CE).

4. Frevo

Frevo, on the other hand, was born in the late 19th century in the streets of Recife, Pernambuco, and it is the soul of the Carnival in Recife and Olinda.

Musically, then, it arose from a mix of the marcha, the maxixe, the dobrado and the polka, played by military bands. The dance, meanwhile, called passo, features acrobatic movements inspired by capoeira and uses the famous colorful little umbrellas.

Furthermore, frevo is played by brass orchestras (trombone, trumpet, saxophone and tuba) and percussion, at a very fast tempo. For this reason, in 2012, it was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

5. Maracatu

Next, maracatu is an Afro-Brazilian tradition from Pernambuco. However, it has two main forms, which are quite different from each other.

Maracatu Nação (de baque virado)

First, Maracatu Nação is linked to the old coronations of the Kings of Congo, to devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary and to the terreiros (temples) of Afro-Brazilian religions. In addition, its procession features a king, a queen, ladies of the court carrying the dolls called calungas, and a standard-bearer. Finally, the powerful beat comes from the alfaias (large drums), the gonguês (iron bells), the caixas (snare drums) and the abês (beaded shakers).

Maracatu Rural (de baque solto)

Maracatu Rural, by contrast, was born among sugarcane workers in Pernambuco’s Zona da Mata. Incidentally, its most famous figure is the caboclo de lança (spear-carrying warrior), with a colorful wig and bells on his back. See also the maracatu rural at the Carnival of Nazaré da Mata.

In 2014, both types of maracatu were registered by IPHAN as Cultural Heritage of Brazil. Thus, they represent the resistance of Afro-descendant culture and are an essential part of Pernambuco’s Carnival.

6. Samba de roda

Samba de roda was born in the Recôncavo Baiano and is considered one of the ancestors of Rio de Janeiro’s samba.

In fact, it results from the blending of African rhythms brought by enslaved people with Portuguese traditions, such as the viola and poetry. In the circles, for example, people use the pandeiro, atabaque, viola machete, hand clapping and even a plate and knife.

Dancing in a circle, improvisation and the “miudinho“, a step performed mainly by women, are its hallmarks. That is why, in 2005, samba de roda was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

7. Xaxado

Xaxado is a music and dance from the sertão of Pernambuco, linked to the cangaço (backlands banditry) and, especially, to the gang of Lampião.

Initially, it was danced only by men, to celebrate victories and battles. The name, incidentally, imitates the sound of leather alpercatas (sandals) dragging on the ground: “xa-xa-xa”.

Later, Luiz Gonzaga took xaxado to the whole country. As a result, it keeps alive the memory of the sertão and the popular culture of the Northeastern semi-arid region.

Other Northeastern rhythms you need to know

Besides the seven main ones, the Northeast of Brazil has many other rhythms. Among them, the following stand out:

Xote: the slower and more romantic rhythm of forró, that is, of European origin (the schottische), danced in pairs.
Arrasta-pé: a fast rhythm of the June festivals in which, incidentally, dancers “drag their feet” across the floor.
Coco: a circle music and dance from the Northeastern coast, with foot stomping, ganzá (shaker) and pandeiro; there are, for example, coco de roda and coco de embolada.
Embolada and repente: contests of improvised verses between two singers, accompanied by pandeiro or viola.
Afoxé and ijexá: Carnival processions linked to Candomblé, such as the Filhos de Gandhy in Salvador.
Samba-reggae: likewise created in the 1980s by the blocos afro of Salvador, such as Olodum and Ilê Aiyê.
Bumba-meu-boi: a festival and music from Maranhão that, moreover, was recognized by UNESCO as Heritage of Humanity in 2019.
Tambor de crioula: an Afro-Maranhão circle dance, registered as Cultural Heritage of Brazil.
Manguebeat: a 1990s movement in Recife, led by Chico Science, that mixed maracatu with rock and hip-hop.
Piseiro: a newer, electronic version of forró, with keyboard and a fast beat, which became a craze in Brazil in the 2020s.

Frequently asked questions about Northeastern Brazilian rhythms

What are the main Northeastern Brazilian rhythms?

In general, the best known are axé, baião, forró, frevo, maracatu, samba de roda and xaxado. Besides these, there are xote, coco, arrasta-pé, bumba-meu-boi and manguebeat, for example.

What is the difference between forró and baião?

First of all, baião is a specific rhythm, created and popularized by Luiz Gonzaga in the 1940s. Forró, on the other hand, is a broader name that includes baião, xote and arrasta-pé, as well as the party itself where people dance.

Which Northeastern rhythms are Heritage of Humanity?

Samba de roda from the Recôncavo Baiano (2005), frevo (2012) and bumba-meu-boi from Maranhão (2019) were recognized by UNESCO. In addition, maracatu and tambor de crioula are Cultural Heritage of Brazil.

Who is the King of Baião?

Without a doubt, it is Luiz Gonzaga (1912-1989), an accordion player from Pernambuco who took baião, xote and xaxado all over Brazil. His most famous song is “Asa Branca”.

Where was axé born?

In Salvador, Bahia, in the 1980s, above all from the music of the trios elétricos and the blocos afro of Bahia’s Carnival.

Written by Willy Sievert

Editor of Bahia.ws since its founding in 2009. Based in Salvador, he travels frequently across the Northeast and all of Brazil to keep the guides up to date. Learn more about Willy Sievert →