Meet the Bands
Get to know the bands — all the way from Brazil, they’re here to make us dance non-stop this weekend!
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Since their foundation in 2009, Coisa de Zé has carried the mission of delivering high energy and joy through forró.
Based in São Paulo, they blend traditional forró pé de serra with Brazilian and Latin influences, creating a sound that’s traditional yet young and innovative. Winners of FENFIT 2014 (the biggest forró pé de serra competition!), they’ve toured across Brazil and 10 European countries, bringing their explosive stage presence and positive vibes wherever they go.
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Marimelo is one of forró’s most celebrated female voices – a Rio-born powerhouse reviving Brazilian musical roots across bailes from Brazil to Europe. With a voice like no other and performance energy that radiates like a force of nature, her unique quartet (sanfona, zabumba, tuba, triângulo) blends deep tradition with a completely fresh sound.
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This multi-instrumentalist from Minas Gerais is celebrating 20 years of music, establishing himself as one of the standout accordionists of his generation. His compositions have been performed in venues and radio stations worldwide, recorded by renowned groups like Chama Chuva, Trio Lampião, Diego Oliveira, Luso Baião and Forró de Ka.
His debut solo album “Na Trilha do Sol” launched an international tour spanning 15+ countries. Most recently, he released “Certas Manhãs de Outono” (2023), showcasing his evolution as a composer and musical director.
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From Ilhéus, Bahia, PH brings 22 years of forró pé de serra mastery to Berlin. He led Forró 4 Estações for 19 years across Brazil’s biggest festivals, then launched his solo career and captured 2nd place at Festival Nacional Forró de Itaúnas 2023, the world’s largest forró festival.
His instrumental hit “Sonho de uma Madrugada” has over 500,000 streams worldwide. Fresh from his first European tour in 2025, PH is bringing the authentic soul of Brazil’s Northeast straight to our stage.
Meet the Teachers
Say hello to the amazing teachers leading our packed 3-day workshop marathon — directly from Brazil and all over Europe and ready to share their passion and energy!
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Bruna forró journey began in 2016 in Curitiba, where a hobby quickly turned into a passion. She later moved to Dublin, Ireland, joining the local forró community as a volunteer teacher, and then to the Netherlands, where she became a key member of Forró Den Haag – teaching regular classes and organising events.
Bruna has taught workshops across the Netherlands and at festivals throughout Europe, including Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Greece and Turkey. She blends Roots and Forró Universitário styles, with a strong emphasis on comfort, connection and expression.
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Lucas has been dancing Forró since he was 14, graduating from Pé Descalço in 2009 and becoming a teacher there immediately. With deep roots in the school as coordinator, examiner and performance group member, he has also expanded his knowledge into samba, zouk and beyond.
Alice started at Pé Descalço in 2011 and was invited to teach just three years later. She reached the Red Necklace, the school’s highest level, became an examiner and developed teaching methods covering technique, musicality and expressiveness for both leaders and followers.
Together, they have shared their passion for forró in workshops and festivals across Brazil, Europe and the United States, teaching in over 15 countries.
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Joice started her forró journey in 2015 as a student, driven by a deep desire to learn and connect through dance. What began as discovery became a path – and, with time, a purpose.
Over the years, she grew into a teacher who blends technique, listening and sensitivity. In 2025, she founded “Forró Colorido” a space for a more inclusive and human forró, where every body is welcomed and every story has room to exist. On the dance floor and in the classroom, she shows up with the same lightness and intention.
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Dancing since age 11, Letícia has toured 50+ Brazilian cities and 8 countries, participated in music videos with Mariana Aydar and Mestrinho, appeared on Rede Globo and made history as the first Black female teacher to bring Forró Roots to classrooms in Brazil and Europe.
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Originally from southern Brazil and based in Paris since 2005, Vinícius has been dancing since age 15 and teaching across Europe for more than twenty years. Founder of Forró Intenso Paris, he is known for his technical precision, musicality and a unique ability to create genuine human connection on the dance floor – all wrapped in charisma, humor and contagious energy.
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Milena grew up in Belo Horizonte surrounded by art in all its forms – drawing, singing, theatre and dance. Forró found her at 12, first at school dances, then at forró nights across BH and festivals throughout Brazil and the world. By 16 she was already teaching, and since then she has brought forró to 15 countries and countless cities across Brazil.
Mardio was born in Salvador, Bahia, and forró found him early too – through the quadrilhas juninas of his childhood. His first forró class led quickly to teaching, then to opening his own space, and in 2013 to co-founding Escola @chineleiros, which he now manages together with Milena
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Join a Latin Fusion class with our special guest @mallo.santo, dancer and fitness trainer from the northeast coast of Brazil. In 2021, he co-founded the brand Latin Fusion, which is a high-intensity workout merged with twerking. His passion is to increase athletes' self-confidence, self-love and sexiness
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Born in Salvador, she began dancing forró in 2012, specializing in the Roots style. Since 2017, she has been teaching and has led workshops in 12 countries, including tours across Europe, the United States and Chile. She has taught in renowned schools, projects and events all over Brazil. Her work emphasizes technique, musicality and body awareness, fostering dance as a form of complete artistic expression.
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DJ Vhinny is a true explorer of Brazilian rhythms. Samba, samba-rock, forró, coco, maracatu, jazz, bossa nova – he weaves them into one continuous story, from North to South, East to West. A musical puzzle that feels unmistakably, beautifully Brazilian.
With performances across Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, England and Spain, Vhinny takes Brazilian music wherever it needs to go.
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With over 26 years dedicated to forró pé de serra, DJ Sanguim has forró deep in his roots. Born in Governador Valadares, shaped by nearly a decade living in the legendary village of Itaúnas, and now bringing authentic Brazilian forró to dance floors across Europe.
His sets weave timeless classics with rare gems that keep the energy alive all night. DJ Sanguim delivers more than a DJ set – he creates a cultural experience, inviting international audiences to feel the rhythm, history, and joy of authentic Brazilian forró.
Meet the DJS
Get ready to vibe to the beats—here’s the incredible DJ lineup set to ignite the dance floor over the whole weekend
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Lara Aredes is a Brazilian music researcher, curator and DJ with a deep love for forró pé de serra.
Active in the scene since 2023, she’s quickly become a familiar face at some of the most celebrated forró festivals and events across Brazil and around the world. Her sets aren’t just playlists – they’re musical journeys, weaving together classic tracks, rare finds and contemporary discoveries that reveal just how rich and diverse Brazilian music really is.
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Active in the scene since 2021, DJ Dourado has become a prominent presence at major forró events across Portugal – from weekly nights in Lisbon to festivals like O Baião Vai and Forró Douro – and has brought his sound to stages in Belgium, France, Spain and Germany.
Since picking up vinyl in 2023, his sets have become something special: a sonic journey through the 1950s to the 1980s, blending timeless classics with rare discoveries that celebrate everything forró has to offer.
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Peter Moreno was born in Santiago, Chile, discovered forró in Brussels, and spent nearly a year living in São Paulo – where his love for this music really took root.
His sets cover the full spectrum of forró: slow and fast, new and old, traditional and orchestrated. If there’s a violin, clarinet, saxophone, or a melody that gets completely stuck in your head – that’s his world. He has a particular love for orchestral arrangements and female voices in forró music.