Some artists define a genre. Marília Mendonça defined a feeling. The self-crowned Rainha da Sofrência — Queen of Suffering — transformed Brazilian sertanejo universitário in the 2010s with a disarmingly honest voice, songs written from raw personal experience, and a connection to her audience that transcended entertainment.

With 383 songs in her catalog at Toca Aquela, her music continues to reach millions who are still processing her sudden death in November 2021, at just 26 years old.

The Rise of the Rainha

Born on July 22, 1995, in Cristianópolis, Goiás, Marília started writing songs as a teenager, initially for other artists. Her breakthrough as a performer came in 2016 with Infiel — a song about betrayal told from the woman's perspective that signaled a shift in how sertanejo addressed its female audience.

What made her different was that she sang about women, for women, without sanitizing the pain. Heartbreak, jealousy, drinking away the sorrows — she put it all on the table with wit and zero apology.

The Sound: Sertanejo Chords for Guitar

The Core Progression

The backbone of most sertanejo hits is a cyclical progression — often I–V–vi–IV or I–IV–V — played with a characteristic strumming pattern that gives the genre its driving, relentless energy.

Capo Use

Sertanejo players love the capo. It lets you use comfortable open-chord shapes while playing in singer-friendly keys. Many of Marília's songs sound best with a capo on frets 2, 3, or 4.

The Emotional Arc

Like country music, sertanejo builds emotional climaxes through chord suspensions and resolutions. Learning to lean into that moment — the hold before the resolution — is what separates a mechanical performance from a felt one.

Essential Marília Mendonça Songs to Learn

• Infiel — The breakthrough. Capo 2, straightforward progression, but the phrasing is everything.
• Eu Sei de Cor — A mid-tempo heartbreak anthem with a beautiful chorus chord movement.
• Todo Mundo Vai Sofrer — Perfect sofrência. High energy strumming, instant crowd-pleaser.
• Graveto — One of her most melodically sophisticated songs. Work carefully on the chord transitions.
• Bebi Liguei — Fun, fast, and a perfect vehicle for learning sertanejo rhythm instinctively.

All chord charts available at Toca Aquela.

Her Legacy

Marília Mendonça was more than a musician. She made it acceptable for Brazilian women to claim their heartbreak loudly, publicly, and with humor. Playing her songs is a way of keeping that voice alive.

Find her full catalog at Toca Aquela.