in the early 1970's, with the growth of the favelas in rio de janeiro, things started to change - in that period, favelas were inhabited mostly by afro-brazilians who widely embraced pagode, and this new proximity to the city center brought more exposure not only to the music, but also the to party concept.  

soon enough, pagode became a staple of celebrations in most backyard parties in the rio area, embraced by a broad range of public - this further developed the genre as it was influenced by more instruments and styles, with some of the first and biggest pagode music stars came right from these backyard parties.

zeca pagodinho, martinho da vila, and jovelina perola negra are some of the  most famous singers who include pagode in their repertoire.