Composed by Nazareth in 1893, when he was 30 years old. This piece became a major hit following "Beija-Flor" (Hummingbird), which he released at the age of 21, further enhancing his reputation and becoming a representative work from Nazareth's early period. The title "Brejeiro" means "rascal" or "good-for-nothing." It is subtitled "Tango."

While "tango" strongly evokes an image of Argentina, making it seem unrelated to Nazareth, who was from Brazil, Nazareth released numerous pieces titled "Tango" or "Brazilian Tango" starting with this work. Among them are many of his most famous compositions, such as "Odeon" and "Fon-fon!". What exactly was the "Brazilian Tango" as expressed by Nazareth? To understand Brazilian Tango, let's first look at Argentine Tango, which is often associated with the term "tango."

Argentine Tango has its roots in "Milonga," a rhythm that emerged from the fusion of the "Habanera" rhythm, which arrived in South America from Europe via Cuba, and the rhythms of Black people brought as slaves from the African continent. Brazilian Tango, on the other hand, shares the "Habanera" as a common root with Argentine Tango, but unlike Argentine Tango, it was influenced by the rhythm of "Maxixe." "Maxixe" is a dance music that originated in Rio de Janeiro in the 19th century and became popular throughout Brazil. It is a fusion of the European court dance "Polka" and Black rhythms, characterized by a fast tempo in duple meter.

Although these two tangos developed in separate countries within the same South American continent (Brazil and Argentina), they coincidentally underwent a similar evolution: from "music for dancing" to "music for listening." The key figure in this transformation for Argentine Tango was the famous Astor Piazzolla. For Brazilian Tango, it was Ernesto Nazareth. While Piazzolla revolutionized tango as "music for listening" in the latter half of the 20th century, Nazareth solidified the status of Brazilian Tango as "music for listening" in the early 20th century. Nazareth initiated this "revolution" in Brazilian Tango more than 50 years before Piazzolla.

About the Structure of the Piece

While most of Nazareth's compositions are written in A-B-A-C-A rondo form, this piece is written in A-A'-B-A-A' form. Section A is in A major, giving a light and airy impression. The subsequent section B modulates to E major, the dominant key of A major, transforming into a vibrant atmosphere. Throughout the piece, it embodies a tropical, Brazilian ambiance, richly infused with Nazareth's characteristic style.

The popularity of this piece was reportedly immense; lyrics were added, and it became an even greater hit under the title "O sertanejo enamorado." There is even an anecdote that it crossed the Atlantic and became part of the repertoire of the Republican Guard Band of Paris.