By Lais Oliveira | Translation: Isabela Jordão
Despite what happened with axé music style (an afro-brazilian music style), which broke out in Brazil in the 1990s and suffered from the lack of renewal of artists in the following years, brazilian country music (most known as sertanejo) has been frequent in matter of appearance of new musicians. Every year, singers and pairs, previously unknown, gain space in the market. And this justifies the most recent research on the musical preferences of Brazilians: sertanejo is number one in the ranking.
A survey conducted in 2018 by the consultancy JLeiva Cultura & Esporte, with the participation of Datafolha, heard thousands of people and outlined an overview of the cultural habits of Brazilians. The survey asked respondents to name the three musical genres they liked best, in order of preference. The result showed that the sertanejo is the most popular style, mentioned by 37% of the interviewees, by young people from 16 years old. Followed by funk that was cited by 28% of them. This trend has been prevalent for some years, in fact.
Another survey, this time by Ibope, also sought to know which style was most heard by the country and, according to the results, 58% of Brazilians hear sertanejo least once a week. Also according to the survey, the majority of the public that appreciates sertanejo are people from class B and C, aged between 25 and 34 years.
The Brazilian country music is a musical style that was born from the country’s roots and has become a national preference. The rhythm today is heard anywhere and in all social classes and emerged from the backcountry culture to mix with electronic music, funk, arrocha or any other rhythm that justifies investments — and millionaire gains. Yes, the sertanejo earns millions to several pairs and solo singers throughout Brazil.
Between the 90s, this musical style shared space with axé, coming from Bahia, with highly successful pairs like Zezé di Carmargo and Luciano, Leandro and Leonardo, Chitãozinho and Xororó, among others. With the arrival of the 2000s, a new moment of sertanejo entered Brazil: the university sertanejo. Pairs like João Bosco & Vinícius, Jorge & Mateus, Guilherme & Santiago, Maria Cecília & Rodolfo and César Menotti & Fabiano begin to proliferate. The songs started to deal with younger themes, such as ballads and cell phone conversations, and the sound gained new influences, such as axé and funk.
Since then, sertanejo has grown even more and, today it is the most heard rhythm in Brazil. As of 2010, women’s empowerment also gained space and voices such as Marília Mendonça (the youngest in the field and the most successful), Maiara & Maraísa and Simone & Simaria are increasingly heard in this universe. That is why the musical style has so many fans and has dominated the Brazilian scene for years — it pleases the most diverse audiences, from different age groups, social classes, genres, personalities and groups: there are songs for everyone.
From 2015 until the end of 2018, several pairs and solo singers won millions of reais with concerts in Brazil and, with such success, took tours to other places in the world gathering fans and new listeners even in Japan. In 2018, Spotity released the ranking of the most listened to artists in Brazil, and the sertanejo duo Zé Neto and Cristiano was the highlight of the year. Followed by another duo of the same rhythm and as famous, the Goianos Jorge and Matheus.
Copyrights, sales and frequency of concerts keep breaking records. Every week, a new sertanejo duo from different corners of the country appears. But, after all, why does the genre reigns supremely on radio, internet, stream and television in Brazil? The contemporary sertanejo is the result of a mixture that has its origins in past centuries, when representations of country culture began in the country, but deeply marked by pasteurization and by the diverse references incorporated in the last decades, which shaped the genre that reigns absolute in Brazilian charts.
Producers and entrepreneurs in the music industry claim that the increase in the relevance of this type of music across the country was due to the growth of agribusiness in Brazil, because “the sertanejo music spread with the agribusiness fairs”, said Paulo Cesarino, owner of a music studio of 20 years in Brazilian market, and where artists like Gusttavo Lima, Michel Teló and others have recorded.
The fact that, in the early 2000s, the sertanejo became part of other genres, thus becoming the university sertanejo, was a fundamental change to consolidate its success. When artists started to bring other influences to songs like electronic and pop, this made the genre definitely emerge at parties and bars.
Combining these factors with good music producers who discover talents, especially in the Center-West of Brazil, in places like Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso, the recipe that explains the predominance and success of the sertanejo in all Brazilian regions is formed.
Most singers and pairs emerge from Goiânia, Goiás. With studios and production companies, the city also offers a favorable environment to the genre. Since 1995, the capital of Goiás has hosted some of the biggest music festivals in Brazil, with Goiânia Noise being the first of them. This inspired events aimed at the sertanejo public in other regions of the country.
With such success and public approval, it is not surprising that so many musical bets appear in the sertanejo market month after month. Some hits strike instantly, others keep trying. The fact is that this music style will most likely prevail in Brazil for several years to come.
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