Paula Fernandes Talks Country Music Sexism and Barretos Return
Singer Paula Fernandes returns to the Festa do Peão de Barretos in São Paulo state on Thursday, August 27. She will ride a horse into the arena to perform “Ave Maria” for the opening of the rodeo’s bull-riding competitions.
A Decade Away Ends on Horseback
According to interviews with BBC News Brasil, the return marks her first appearance at Latin America’s largest rodeo in ten years. The milestone coincides with her 42nd birthday and the release of her new album, 30 & Poucos Anos.
Lineup Math Reveals Persistent Gender Gaps
Her ten-year absence from Barretos underscores a broader shift in the Brazilian sertanejo music landscape.
When Fernandes achieved mainstream dominance in 2011—selling 1.6 million records and topping radio airplay charts—the genre was heavily male-dominated. Today, while artists like Marília Mendonça and Ana Castela have expanded space for women, structural imbalances remain starkly visible in major festival lineups.
Data from the Barretos event schedule reveals that among the 22 artists performing on Friday, August 28—the night of Fernandes’s solo set on the Amanhecer stage—only three are women, accounting for 13.6 percent of the lineup. Across the entire six-day festival schedule, female acts represent just 11.6 percent of total attractions.
Logistics Built for a Male-Dominated Era
“I can’t describe the look of astonishment when I arrived,” Fernandes told BBC News Brasil, recalling her early career when she performed up to 220 shows a year.
“Why did she ask for a bathroom in the dressing room? Why did she ask for a mirror? Everything was molded for men, who arrive in boots, change clothes anywhere, put on a plaid shirt, pee anywhere.”
Fernandes emphasized that practical stage requirements, such as a smooth surface for performance footwear, constitute basic professional necessities rather than luxury demands. She also addressed historical tabloid scrutiny during her peak commercial years, noting that media fabrications frequently undermined female artists while male peers faced no equivalent scrutiny.
Touring a New Project on Familiar Ground
The singer’s return performance opens a renewed touring cycle for her latest project, featuring singles such as “Era Eu” alongside catalog milestones like “Pássaro de Fogo.”
