How ARJ Was Created

Founded in 2000 in Recife by professors and students from the UFPE Department of Music, the Respeita Januário Association honors Januário, father of Luiz Gonzaga — the master of the accordion and a symbol of Northeastern musical tradition. Unlike his famous son, Januário stayed in the sertão, never moved to a big city, and didn’t replace his eight-button accordion with the more modern piano-keyed accordions. The ARJ believes that traditional music from the Northeast is more than just a heritage; it is a living expression of the people. It is present in festivals, religious celebrations, work, and the everyday life of Northeastern families. It is not just sound — it is memory, identity, and resistance. Despite being recognized by artists and thinkers like Ariano Suassuna, Mário de Andrade, and Villa-Lobos, this wealth still lacks effective public policies, research, and true recognition. That’s why ARJ works to document, promote, and strengthen this heritage, always in dialogue with those who keep it alive: the masters of popular culture. Through actions ranging from research to producing CDs, videos, seminars, and an ever-expanding digital collection, we aim to contribute to the recognition and strengthening of these living, human, and collective knowledges.

Objective

Strengthening the ties between culture, memory, and belonging — that’s the purpose of the Respeita Januário Association! Our primary goal is to contribute to the recognition and valorization of traditional Northeastern culture as a living, diverse, and essential expression of Brazilian identity. We believe that preservation involves listening, dialoguing, and walking alongside the masters and communities who keep this cultural heritage alive. We work to make these knowledges more visible, investing in research, training, diffusion, and cultural networking actions. We aim to create bridges between generations, territories, and languages — always respecting the origin and commitment to the future of this tradition, which is collective, proudly Northeastern, and deeply Brazilian.