Agronejo is a relatively new genre of Brazilian music. It draws on Brazil’s ever-popular traditional country music, sertanejo but adds a modern twist adding pop, electronic, funk or hiphop.
Crucially agronejo, like sertanejo, celebrates the Brazilian rural and farming lifestyle. The music videos - with farmers in cowboy hats, bling watches, and expensive tractors - are getting millions of views online. Some of the most famous artists are Us Agroboy, Ana Castela, Luan Pereira and DJ Chris no Beat.
But critics say the agricultural industry, or “agrobusiness”, is using the genre to sell an idealised vision of the sector and distract from its environmental impact. The musicians and the industry reject this. Marco Silva, a BBC journalist specialising in climate disinformation, who has made a documentary about this, explains the inspiration behind agronejo. We hear some of his interview with Us Agroboy. And we discuss the environmental impact of Brazil’s agriculture sector and whether this music gives an accurate portrayal of the industry.
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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Maria Clara Montoya and Julia Ross-Roy
Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde
