Paula Fernandes returns to Barretos and recalls sexism in her career

Paula Fernandes returned to the Barretos Cowboy Festival after a ten-year absence, singing Ave Maria and announcing her new album. In an interview with BBC News Brasil, the artist recalls the sexism she faced in her early years and points out that women are still a minority in sertanejo music, accounting for only 11.6% of the festival's lineup.

Paula Fernandes returns to Barretos

On Thursday night (Aug 27), Paula rode in on a horse to sing Ave Maria and kick off the bull-riding events. On Friday (Aug 28), she will headline her own show, featuring hits like Pássaro de Fogo and songs from her new album, 30 & Poucos Anos.

Sexism in her early career

In an interview with BBC News Brasil, the singer recalled the sexism she faced at the beginning of her career on stage, including rumors that she had relationships with men in the music industry to boost her career. “They gave me five boyfriends in one week,” Paula says. “I can't describe the look of astonishment when I arrived. Everything was shaped for men, who show up in work boots, change clothes anywhere, put on a plaid shirt and everything is fine, they pee anywhere.”

Gender inequality in sertanejo

Paula states that, although it may seem repetitive, she keeps talking about the subject because, after the creation of the "feminejo" movement, women are still a minority in sertanejo. At the event, among the 22 artists scheduled for the Barretos stages, only three are women, and the proportion is even smaller when considering the event's full schedule: women represent 11.6% of the attractions across the six days.

New shows and projects

In addition to the album 30 & Poucos Anos, which features the single Era Eu, Paula will embark on a series of concerts in music venues, with dates to be announced soon.

With information from BBC.