The sound of the horn opens the way and Ana Castile introduces herself: “Hello, boys, this is the cowboy.” This is how “Pipoco” begins, a song that broke the top of the streaming charts in Brazil.
At the age of 18, Ana became the head of a new country entourage. They are artists who sing about agro pride and mix “brute mode” with electronic styles.
By their side are emerging artists such as Luan Pereira, Léo & Raphael, DJ Chris no Beat and Us Agroboys.
“Pipoco”, currently at No. 4 on Spotify in Brazil, delivered memes about the confusing language of MC Melody, the track’s guest vocalist. But the owner of the cattle is Ana Castela, icon of young fans dancing in hats and boots on TikTok.
Meet Ana Castile, the Brutes’ cowherd
Ana Flávia Castile was born in Amambai (MS) and grew up in neighboring Sete Quedas on the Paraguayan border. The grandparents had a farm on the Paraguayan side. Between the two countries, the girl learned to ride a horse, bicycle and motorcycle.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Ana started posting cover videos on YouTube. The repertoire consisted of pop, acoustic rap and country singers. His favorite artists were Melim and Anavitória.
But the beginning was not worldly. “I love singing gospel. I started singing in church. I had a choir called Coração de Maria with my friends when I was 15, 16 years old,” she says.
- Ana Castile praises origin: “I love Mato Grosso do Sul and my city”
2 of 7 Ana Castela — Photo: Instagram of the artist
Ana Castela — Photo: Instagram of the artist
The image that made the eyes of future managers light up was neither gospel nor pop covers. Ana posted a short video of herself singing fellow countryman Loubet’s “Chew Bee” while riding a horse.
Rodolfo Alessi, composer and singer of the duo Fabinho and Rodolfo, discovered that the girl was the daughter of a friend of his from Sete Quedas. He started a business with Raphael Soares of the duo Léo and Raphael.
They became partners with the production company Agroplay, which was already eyeing the new vein of odes to livestock and the countryside with modernized mods.
At the beginning of 2020, Léo and Raphael were on the rise with “Agro é top”. It is an agribusiness anthem with the refrain “Agro is top, agro is chic, agro is show, agro is us”. In “Os Meninos da Pecuária” they further defend the sector: “It’s no wonder GDP starts with P for livestock”.
“Agro was the only industry that didn’t stand still in the pandemic. It is the industry that feeds the world and feeds Brazil. And we said: Man, we have to turn this into music,” explains Léo.
As they support the agribusiness, is there financial support from the sector? “No, that was our flag, but without the support of anyone, there is no entity (supporting it),” Léo replies.
After reaping success, they saw fertile ground to sow. The partners opened Agroplay and bet on Ana Castela. In addition to managers, they also became cowriters of their songs.
3 of 7 Ana Castela comes from Sete Quedas (MS). — Photo: Personal Archive/Reproduction
Ana Castile comes from Sete Quedas (MS). — Photo: Personal Archive/Reproduction
The first shot was already on target. “Boiadeira” came out in February 2021 and scored. Still with braces and pimples on her face, Ana Castela sang about a girl who left the big city for the country: “Her makeup is dust now”.
The little girls and playboys around town always do poorly on lyrics.
Léo and Raphael have cocreated a sequel to Os Menino da Pecuária with Ana Castile.
“As Meninas da Pecuária” has a pounding beat and the description of the woman who “lives the work of cattle, hilux, or horses”. Another success.
When asked about the subject of the songs, Ana repeats the economic narrative: “Because Brazil is agro. Everything: the meat we eat, what we buy at the market, it’s all agro.”
The young woman gives other reasons: “And people like it. Those who ride horses, the girls with the three drums and the long lasso (equestrian competition modalities), those who work and live on the farm, there is no one who does that. “I don’t like that rough side.”
4 of 7 From left: Luan Pereira, Ana Castela, Us Agroboy and Léo and Raphael record “Fazendinha Sessions” which Ana calls “Acoustic Poetry of the Brutes” — Photo: Disclosure
From left: Luan Pereira, Ana Castela, Us Agroboy and Léo and Raphael record “Fazendinha Sessions” which Ana calls “acoustic poetry of the brutes” — Photo: Disclosure
Far from being a novelty, the sertanejo, which glorifies country life and work, is the DNA of the style. In the last decade there has been a wave of “brutal” sertanejos with Bruno and Barretto, Jads and Jadson, João Carreiro and Capataz and others.
The “Hatbande”, as they are called in the market today, has other artists on the road for longer, such as Loubet, Anthony and Gabriel and Bruna Viola.
But the new group celebrates rural tradition while unashamedly incorporating external elements into the field, from funk to acoustic rap.
“Neon”, released by Ana Castela in September 2021, has a slightly electronic beat and the message that the “brute woman can also roll and be bagaceira”.
Journalist and researcher GG Albuquerque noted in an article for the website I Hate Flash that “[agribusiness]acts as a propaganda machine for the agribusiness, often appropriated discourse and narratives from marginalized music genres such as funk”.
After “Boiadeira” won a successful remix by DJ Lucas Beat from São Paulo, Agroplay launched a new artist: DJ Chris no Beat, specialized in this mix of Funk, EDM and Agro. Among other hits, he broke through with Ana Castela and Luan Pereira’s “Juliet e Chapelão”.
Clothing by ‘Pipoco’ and Melody
5 of 7 Ana Castile has teamed up with Beat’s Melody and DJ Chris to release the song. — Photo: Reproduction
Ana Castile has teamed up with Beat’s Melody and DJ Chris to release the song. — Photo: Reproduction
Agro’s new followers have multiple hits, but none have made it as far in Brazil as “Pipoco.” It is the only one that has also engaged Ana Castela as a composer.
“I came up with the idea at the beginning to speak, get ready and talk about the (branded) Kanadá hat. That also worked, the company shaped us,” she says.
Ana and Melody embody rural, funny and younger versions of current pop stars like Anitta and Luisa Sonza.
“I hear many compatriots Israel and Rodolffo, Hugo and Guilherme, Marília Mendonça. But I also listen to Luisa Sonza, Anitta, Ludmilla a lot. My style isn’t just about farming,” says Ana.
In the clip, the teenagers dance at a nightclub and go horseback riding in a rural setting.
The exchange was real. “I took my clothes with me to give Melody a more country style. All of the clothes she wears in the video are mine, apart from the crop top and shorts. We tried them on together.”
“When it came to riding, she didn’t know much, but we explained it,” says Ana.
Ana even defended her friend from São Paulo against the comments on social networks about Melody’s diction: “I can actually understand everything she sings”.
6 of 7 Ana Castile — Photo: Advertisement
Ana Castile — Photo: Advertisement
Shortly before the eruption, Ana even entered the faculty of dentistry, but dropped out and started music 100%. Playing games on her new PlayStation 5 is one of the few things she gets to do between gigs and recordings.
One of the current works is “Fazendinhasessions 2”. It is an encounter with the “acoustic rap” style of the new agro artists.
The first video had Ana Castela, Luan Pereira, Us Agroboy and Léo and Raphael. The musical direction of the project rests with Eduardo Godoy, who produces all of Ana’s songs and most of the other singers.
“I listen to Poesia Acústica every day, I know all the songs completely. When they said we would record an Acoustic Poetry from the Agro, I was so happy,” Ana says happily.
The young woman says she only got to know São Paulo after becoming a singer. She performed a wellattended show at Villa Country, the city’s premier style venue.
The conversation ends like this:
g1 And to Rio, did you go too?
Ana Castile i never left
7 of 7 Ana Castela — Photo: Advertisement / Maurício Antônio
Ana Castela — Photo: Advertising / Maurício Antônio