Jayme Caetano Braun

Origin

São Luiz Gonzaga, RS

Also known as

Jaime Caetano Braun, El Payador

Years active

1945

Genres

musica gaucha, folk music, roots music

Instruments

vocals, guitar

Biography

Jayme Caetano Braun was a legendary Brazilian payador, poet, and radio host born in São Luiz Gonzaga, Rio Grande do Sul. He became one of the most prominent and influential figures in traditional gaucho culture, celebrated not only in Brazil but also across Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Throughout his career, he authored numerous books of poetry, recorded historic albums, and championed the rural lifestyle, nature, and folklore of the pampa region.

Alongside artists like Pedro Ortaça, Noel Guarany, and Cenair Maicá—collectively known as the "Troncos Missioneiros"—he helped define the sound and soul of regionalist music in southern Brazil. His deep knowledge of regional traditions led him to co-found the Academia Nativista Estância da Poesia Crioula and publish works such as the regional dictionary Vocabulário Pampeano. He frequently collaborated with fellow musicians and guitarists, including Lúcio Yanel and Luiz Marenco, leaving a lasting legacy on Brazilian folk music.

His contributions extended beyond music and literature into radio broadcasting and political activism, where he used his art as a payador to support historical figures such as Getúlio Vargas and Ruy Ramos. Jayme Caetano Braun passed away in 1999 in Porto Alegre, leaving behind an indelible cultural footprint that earned him posthumous honors and cemented his status as the patron of the pajadoril movement in Brazil.