Dance and rhythm typical of Northern/Northeastern Brazil, where pace and melody have a strong syncopation. Typical instruments include the accordion, zabumba (a wide drum) and triangle (an instrument of percussion) Together with bossa nova, Baião is the most prominent Brazilian rhythm abroad; note that Pop-rocks rhythmic pace has a lot of Baião in it. For instance, pay attention to the drum beat of "Save The Last Dance For Me" by the Drifters, "Hound Dog" by Elvis, "She Loves You" by the Beatles, and "Do You Know The Way To San Jose" by Burt Bacharach.
One of many rhythms of the African-influenced Northeast of Brazil, the baiáo became popular in Rio de Janeiro around 1950 as a reaction against the increasingly international popular music of the time. Its most famous exponent, Luis Gonzaga, made the accordion-led regional group extremely popular. A few U.S. jazzmen experimented with the baiáo in the early 1950s, but it was too unsuccessful to be called a bridge between the samba and the bossa nova.