sertanejo describes a type of country music that first originated in the interior of brazil, incorporating the grasslands and deserted plains of parana in the south to the tropical region of maranhao in the north, an area also known as the sertão.

sertanejo music is said to originate from the festivities and religious ceremonies that occurred in the states of minas gerais, mato grosso do sul, são paulo, southern bahia, and various others - anthropologists locate the roots of this celebratory music in iberian song and dance traditions, combined with influences from the amerindians.