Zé Vaqueiro

Origin

Ouricuri, PE

Genres

piseiro, forró, mpb, arrocha, brega

Instruments

vocals, songwriter

Biography

José Jacson de Siqueira dos Santos Junior, known professionally as Zé Vaqueiro, is a prominent Brazilian singer and songwriter who has emerged as one of the leading names in the piseiro genre. Born in Ouricuri, Pernambuco, he grew up in humble circumstances and was exposed to music from an early age by accompanying his mother, a singer, to her rehearsals and performances. Before achieving musical stardom, he worked odd jobs such as selling ice cream and working at a car wash while performing at local parties and bars. During this formative period, he experimented with various musical styles, including MPB, arrocha, and brega, before finally settling into the regional vaquejada and piseiro sounds that would define his career.

Zé Vaqueiro released his first homemade album in 2017, distributing fifty free copies to local vendors and nearby towns to promote his work. His breakthrough came when his original composition "Vem Me Amar" went viral on Instagram, paving the way for further hits like "Se Você Se Entregar" and his collaboration with Eric Land, "O Povo Gosta de Piseiro". He achieved massive national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2020, driven by the explosive success of his tracks "Tenho Medo" and "Letícia", both of which amassed hundreds of millions of views on YouTube and cemented his status as one of the most-listened artists in the country.

Outside of his rapid rise in the Brazilian music industry, Zé Vaqueiro has built a life in Fortaleza, Ceará, alongside his wife Ingra Soares. Alongside his musical achievements, his personal life has drawn public attention and resilience, particularly following the birth and subsequent passing of his son Arthur in 2024. As he continues to release chart-topping piseiro anthems, he remains a key figure in modern Northeastern Brazilian popular music, frequently compared in cultural impact to contemporaries within the regional scene such as Eric Land.