Sertanejo People
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The Sertanejos are people linked to livestock farming and agriculture in the
Sertão The ''sertão'' (, plural ''sertões'') is the " hinterland" or " backcountry" of Brazil. The word refers both to one of the four sub-regions of the Northeast Region of Brazil or the hinterlands of the country in general (similar to the specific ...
sub-region of Northeast Region of
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and in the
Agreste The agreste (, "countryside") is a narrow zone of Brazil in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia between the coastal forest '' zona da mata'' and the semiarid ''sertão''. The agreste fades out afte ...
areas of
Caatinga Caatinga () is a type of semi-arid tropical vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in interior northeastern Brazil. The name "Caatinga" comes from the Tupi word '' ka'atinga'', meaning "white forest" or "white vegetat ...
. The emergence of the Sertanejos dates back to the 16th century in
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
with the '' vaqueiros'', driven by the advancement of livestock farming towards the interior.''Washington Queiroz. Bahia e vaqueiros: um débito 2010'' The Sertanejo people were formed, mainly, by the admixture between Portuguese and
indigenous peoples There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...
, with the participation of
black people Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ...
as well, mostly free.


Origin and way of life

Cattle Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are calle ...
were introduced into the
Zona da Mata The Zona da Mata (, "Forest Belt") is the narrow coastal plain between the Atlantic Ocean and the dry '' agreste'' and ''sertão'' regions in the northeastern Brazilian states of Maranhão, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alag ...
of Northeastern Brazil during the administration of Tomé de Sousa (1549-1553) and were initially directly linked to the sugar cycle, as these animals served as animal traction for the sugarcane fields and as food. Over the decades, the cattle herds multiplied and caused disruption to the sugarcane plantations. This factor, combined with the Dutch invasions of Northeast Brazil, in which many sugar mill pastures were destroyed and many opponents of Dutch rule had to take refuge in the interior, and the social rigidity of the sugar cycle, which required only a few free workers, caused
whites White is a racial classification of people generally used for those of predominantly European ancestry. It is also a skin color specifier, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, ethnicity and point of view. De ...
, mamelucos,
mulattos ( , ) is a racial classification that refers to people of mixed African and European ancestry only. When speaking or writing about a singular woman in English, the word is (). The use of this term began in the United States shortly ...
and blacks from the coastal areas of
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
and
Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...
to migrate and stabilish in the Caatinga, along with the cattle, as vaqueiros (cowboys) and assistants. The colonization of the semi-arid of Northeastern Brazil occurred between the 16th and 18th centuries and followed the course of its rivers, such as the São Francisco,
Parnaíba Parnaíba () is a city in the Brazilian state of Piauí. Having a population of over 169,000 inhabitants according to IBGE's 2024 estimates, it is the second most populous city in the state, after the capital Teresina. It is one of the four coast ...
, Itapicuru, Vaza-Barris, Apodi, Piranhas-Açu, Jaguaribe, Acaraú and Gurgueia, on whose banks many cattle ranches were formed. The vaqueiros and helpers came into conflict with the indigenous people, although there was continuous admixture with the indigenous people in the Caatingas and Amerindians became cowboys. Cattle farming in the Caatinga was an activity that required little labor, which was predominantly free labor, although some regions, such as
Piauí Piauí ( ) is one of the states of Brazil, located in the country's Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region. The state has 1.6% of the Brazilian population and produces 0.7% of the Brazilian GDP. Piauí has the shortest coastline of any coas ...
, used enslaved African labor on a large scale. The cattle were raised freely and horses were also bred to help the cowboys move around. The Bahia's upper backlands and most of
Chapada Diamantina Chapada Diamantina (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for the "Diamond Plateau") is a region of Bahia state, in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast of Brazil. This mountain range is known as “Serra do Espinhaço,” in Minas Gerais state, ...
, located in the center and center-south of
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
, had a different historical and social formation from the rest of the Sertão, as they were occupied in the 18th and 19th centuries by the extraction of precious stones, with the massive use of enslaved African labour. Despite this, these Sertanejos of Bahia have a strong rural identity. Originally, there were two large
latifundia A ''latifundium'' (Latin: ''latus'', "spacious", and ''fundus'', "farm", "estate") was originally the term used by ancient Romans for great landed estates specialising in agriculture destined for sale: grain, olive oil, or wine. They were charac ...
that dominated the Sertão: Casa da Torre ("House of the Tower"), owned by the Garcia d'Ávila family, and Casa da Ponte ("House of the Bridge"), owned by the Guedes de Brito family. These latifundia were divided into smaller estates, which were rented to the vaqueiros. Life for the Sertanejos was difficult, largely due to the droughts. There was only an abundance of milk and meat, and they used curdled milk and cheese only for their own consumption. They had small plots of land where, during the rainy season, they planted crops such as
corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
,
cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
and
beans A bean is the seed of some plants in the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are often preserved through drying (a ''pulse''), but fresh beans are also sold. Dried beans are tradition ...
. Cassava flour was mixed with meat to produce , a typical Sertanejo dish. Various everyday artifacts for the backwoodsmen were made from the cattle's leather, such as huts, canteens, backpacks, beds and clothing. The Brazilian anthropologist
Darcy Ribeiro Darcy Ribeiro (October 26, 1922 – February 17, 1997) was a Brazilian anthropologist, historian, sociologist, author and politician. His ideas have influenced several scholars of Brazilian and Latin American studies. As Minister of Educati ...
compared the Sertanejo cowboys and farmers to the peasants in
serfdom Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...
of feudal Europe, as both lived their entire lives, from birth, in the region of origin of their parents and grandparents, were tied to land they did not own, and had to pay high taxes to the landowners. Contacts between the Sertão and the coast were sporadic and occurred only at certain times of the year, through fairs where cattle ranchers and traders gathered, many of which gave rise to population centers, embryos of current cities such as
Feira de Santana Feira de Santana (; Portuguese language, Portuguese for "Saint Anne's Fair") is a city in Bahia, Brazil. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 616,272 according to Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, ...
(Bahia),
Campina Grande Campina Grande is the second most populous Brazilian city in the State of Paraíba after João Pessoa, Paraíba, João Pessoa, the capital. It is considered to be the most important city of the Northeastern Brazilian subregion called ''agreste''. ...
(
Paraíba Paraíba ( , ; ) is a states of Brazil, state of Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Northeast, and it is bordered by Rio Grande do Norte to the north, Ceará to the west, Pernambuco to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Paraíba i ...
), Pastos Bons (
Maranhão Maranhão () is a States of Brazil, state in Brazil. Located in the country's Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region, it has a population of about 7 million and an area of and it is divided into 217 municipalities. Clockwise from north, it ...
),
Serra Talhada Serra Talhada is a city in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. It is located at 07º59'31" South and 38º17'54" West, at an altitude of 429 metres. As of 2020, its estimated population by IBGE was 86,915 people. Its area is approximately 2980  ...
(
Pernambuco Pernambuco ( , , ) is a States of Brazil, state of Brazil located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.5 million people as of 2024, it is the List of Brazilian states by population, ...
), and Oeiras (Piauí).


Culture

The main music genre of the Sertanejo people is the
forró The term forró () refers to a musical genre, a rhythm, a dance and the event itself where forró music is played and danced. Forró is an important part of the culture of the Northeastern Brazil, Northeastern Region of Brazil. It encompasses ...
, which is also a dance style. Between forró's name, one of the most famous is
Luiz Gonzaga Luiz Gonzaga do Nascimento (standard orthography 'Luís'; ; December 13, 1912 – August 2, 1989) was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, musician and poet and one of the most influential figures of Brazilian popular music in the twentieth century. ...
. The main manifestation of Sertanejos literature is
cordel literature Cordel literature (from the Portuguese term, ''literatura de cordel'', literally "string literature", ) are popular and inexpensively printed booklets or pamphlets containing folk novels, poems and songs. They are produced and sold in street ma ...
. Other cultural characteristics of the Sertanejo people are the vaquejada and the strong Catholic religiosity.


Location


See also

*
Sertão The ''sertão'' (, plural ''sertões'') is the " hinterland" or " backcountry" of Brazil. The word refers both to one of the four sub-regions of the Northeast Region of Brazil or the hinterlands of the country in general (similar to the specific ...
*
Northeast Region, Brazil The Northeast Region of Brazil ( ) is one of the five official and political regions of the country according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Of Brazil's twenty-six states, it comprises nine: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará ...


References

{{reflist Northeast Region, Brazil Traditional peoples in Brazil