Top 10 Sertanejo Artists in Brazil

Marilia Mendonca (1995-2021) was the undisputed queen of sertanejo, credited with creating "feminejo" — a female-led movement within the genre that centers women's emotional experiences with frank, sometimes painful honesty. Before her tragic death in a plane crash at age 26, she had accumulated over 50 million monthly Spotify listeners, making her one of the most-streamed artists in Latin America. She won the Latin Grammy for Best Sertanejo Music Album in 2019, a historic first for a solo female sertanejo artist.

Jorge e Mateus — Jorge Henrique and Mateus Liduario — formed their duo in 2003 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto and became one of the highest-grossing live acts in Brazilian music history. At their peak in 2016, they held the Guinness World Record for most concerts performed in 12 months (170 shows), grossing over R$200 million in a single year. Their melodic sertanejo universitario style and polished live production set the standard for the genre's stadium era.

Brothers Henrique and Juliano Casconi from Itumbiara, Goias, rose to national fame in the early 2010s and have since become one of Brazil's top-earning musical acts. Their 2015 album "De Parana a Goias" was a crossover smash, and the brothers are known for marathon live shows that regularly exceed four hours. They have sold out the Allianz Parque stadium in Sao Paulo — capacity 43,000 — on multiple occasions.

Zeze di Camargo and his brother Luciano from Pirenopolis, Goias, are the defining sertanejo duo of the 1990s and remain active and commercially relevant today. Their 1991 breakthrough single "E o Amor" sold over 3 million copies in Brazil alone, a staggering figure for the era. The duo has sold more than 50 million albums across their career and is considered essential to the modernization of sertanejo that paved the way for all subsequent artists in the genre.

Twin sisters Maiara and Maraisa from Goiania, Goias, are the leading female duo in contemporary sertanejo, carrying forward the feminejo tradition established by Marilia Mendonca, with whom they frequently collaborated. Their 2016 hit "10%" about accepting 10% of blame in a failed relationship became one of the most-shared sertanejo songs on social media in Brazilian history. The twins are also celebrated television personalities and appear regularly on flagship Brazilian music programs.

Ana Castela, born in 2002 in Cassilandia, Mato Grosso do Sul, is the breakout sertanejo star of the 2020s, known as "Boiadeira" (cowgirl) for her ranch-proud aesthetic and authentic rural roots. Her 2022 collaboration with Gustavo Mioto, "Nosso Quadro," became one of the most-streamed Brazilian songs of that year, and her debut album "Boiadeira" cemented her status as the genre's next generational icon. By age 21 she was headlining her own national arena tour with crowds exceeding 20,000 per night.

Luan Santana from Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, was the first sertanejo artist to reach 1 million followers on Twitter and is credited with introducing the genre to a younger digital-native audience beginning around 2009. He has sold out the iconic Maracana stadium — capacity 78,000 — on multiple occasions, a feat matched by very few Brazilian artists in any genre. His theatrical live shows, incorporating large video installations and costume changes, redefined production standards for sertanejo concerts.

While primarily a DJ and electronic music producer, Goias-born Alok has become one of Brazil's most important crossover artists through his extensive collaborations with sertanejo artists, blending electronic beats with sertanejo melodies and rhythms. He has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the global DJ Mag Top 100 list and is the most-followed Brazilian artist on social media, with over 30 million Instagram followers. His work has opened international markets to Brazilian sertanejo-influenced sounds in ways no traditional artist had previously achieved.

Brothers Jose Lima Sobrinho ("Chitaozinho") and Durval Lima ("Xororo") from Ibiporã, Parana, are Brazilian music royalty — active since 1968 and still performing to sold-out crowds. They are widely credited with modernizing traditional sertanejo in the 1980s by incorporating electric instruments and polished studio production, creating the template that all subsequent artists built upon. Their song "Fio de Cabelo" (1984) is routinely cited in polls as the greatest sertanejo song ever recorded.

Marilia Mendonca (1995-2021) was the undisputed queen of sertanejo, credited with creating "feminejo" — a female-led movement within the genre that centers women's emotional experiences with frank, sometimes painful honesty. Before her tragic death in a plane crash at age 26, she had accumulated over 50 million monthly Spotify listeners, making her one of the most-streamed artists in Latin America. She won the Latin Grammy for Best Sertanejo Music Album in 2019, a historic first for a solo female sertanejo artist.

Jorge e Mateus — Jorge Henrique and Mateus Liduario — formed their duo in 2003 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto and became one of the highest-grossing live acts in Brazilian music history. At their peak in 2016, they held the Guinness World Record for most concerts performed in 12 months (170 shows), grossing over R$200 million in a single year. Their melodic sertanejo universitario style and polished live production set the standard for the genre's stadium era.

Brothers Henrique and Juliano Casconi from Itumbiara, Goias, rose to national fame in the early 2010s and have since become one of Brazil's top-earning musical acts. Their 2015 album "De Parana a Goias" was a crossover smash, and the brothers are known for marathon live shows that regularly exceed four hours. They have sold out the Allianz Parque stadium in Sao Paulo — capacity 43,000 — on multiple occasions.

Zeze di Camargo and his brother Luciano from Pirenopolis, Goias, are the defining sertanejo duo of the 1990s and remain active and commercially relevant today. Their 1991 breakthrough single "E o Amor" sold over 3 million copies in Brazil alone, a staggering figure for the era. The duo has sold more than 50 million albums across their career and is considered essential to the modernization of sertanejo that paved the way for all subsequent artists in the genre.

Twin sisters Maiara and Maraisa from Goiania, Goias, are the leading female duo in contemporary sertanejo, carrying forward the feminejo tradition established by Marilia Mendonca, with whom they frequently collaborated. Their 2016 hit "10%" about accepting 10% of blame in a failed relationship became one of the most-shared sertanejo songs on social media in Brazilian history. The twins are also celebrated television personalities and appear regularly on flagship Brazilian music programs.

Ana Castela, born in 2002 in Cassilandia, Mato Grosso do Sul, is the breakout sertanejo star of the 2020s, known as "Boiadeira" (cowgirl) for her ranch-proud aesthetic and authentic rural roots. Her 2022 collaboration with Gustavo Mioto, "Nosso Quadro," became one of the most-streamed Brazilian songs of that year, and her debut album "Boiadeira" cemented her status as the genre's next generational icon. By age 21 she was headlining her own national arena tour with crowds exceeding 20,000 per night.

Luan Santana from Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, was the first sertanejo artist to reach 1 million followers on Twitter and is credited with introducing the genre to a younger digital-native audience beginning around 2009. He has sold out the iconic Maracana stadium — capacity 78,000 — on multiple occasions, a feat matched by very few Brazilian artists in any genre. His theatrical live shows, incorporating large video installations and costume changes, redefined production standards for sertanejo concerts.

While primarily a DJ and electronic music producer, Goias-born Alok has become one of Brazil's most important crossover artists through his extensive collaborations with sertanejo artists, blending electronic beats with sertanejo melodies and rhythms. He has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the global DJ Mag Top 100 list and is the most-followed Brazilian artist on social media, with over 30 million Instagram followers. His work has opened international markets to Brazilian sertanejo-influenced sounds in ways no traditional artist had previously achieved.

Brothers Jose Lima Sobrinho ("Chitaozinho") and Durval Lima ("Xororo") from Ibiporã, Parana, are Brazilian music royalty — active since 1968 and still performing to sold-out crowds. They are widely credited with modernizing traditional sertanejo in the 1980s by incorporating electric instruments and polished studio production, creating the template that all subsequent artists built upon. Their song "Fio de Cabelo" (1984) is routinely cited in polls as the greatest sertanejo song ever recorded.