If you’re a fan of Brazilian pop culture, you may remember “Tchakabum”, the popular group featuring Gracyanne Barbosa as the main dancer. Today, one of the main factors that makes Gracyanne so relevant on social media today is the ongoing discussion about her physical transformation, as she pursued a career in bodybuilding.
With over 11M followers on Instagram, the internet can’t get enough of her impressive physique, which she showcases through regular posts of her daily fitness routines, diet, and exercises.
Dancing to the top: Gracyanne’s first steps
Gracyanne Barbosa, the famous Brazilian fitness muse, was born in 1983 in Mato Grosso do Sul. At the age of 16, she left her hometown to study law at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). To support herself while studying, she took on a job as a cleaner at a hostel in exchange for housing. The fitness muse graduated from UFRJ in 2006, later on, she explained her motivation for pursuing a law degree.
Although I have always liked law, the main reason was that, in my mind, if I did a college degree that would allow me to take a competitive examination and have a secure job, I would never again have to spend my life in need. It was more for the financial security that I thought I could achieve this way. For fear of starving or getting evicted. The idea was to take the exam and have a fixed salary.
Gracyanne, through Instagram Stories, 2021.
A fitness muse is a woman who uses her healthy lifestyle and fitness journey to inspire and motivate others. She may share her workouts, nutrition tips, and other aspects of her wellness journey through social media or other platforms, and her followers look to her for guidance and inspiration on their fitness journeys.
Her interest in fitness began early, she was frequenting a local gym while in college. Her focus at that time was studying, It took 6 months for her to accept the offer to be a part of Tchakabum.
Tchakabum is a Brazilian music group formed in Rio de Janeiro in 1998 by Marcelo and Nem Menezes as vocalists and Gracyanne Barbosa as a dancer. The group gained national recognition due to its significant impact on the first season of Big Brother Brazil in 2000 with the hit song “Tesouro de Pirata” (Pirate’s Treasure).
Tchakabum’s music has been consistently popular in various seasons of Big Brother Brazil, with hits such as “Tesouro de Pirata” and “Explosão” frequently played at parties and events in the reality show. These songs have been played in at least 10 editions.
Daily workouts on Instagram for a highly engaged community
Gracyanne’s dramatic physical transformation has contributed significantly to her fame as an influencer. Even as a dancer, she always maintained a healthy lifestyle, which resulted in noticeable physical changes.
This has led to frequent discussions about her body, with people comparing her current physique to her appearance as a dancer with Tchakabum. Despite this, Gracyanne is confident in her body, which she attributes to her hard work, and frequently showcases it on social media.
She started her Instagram account in 2012 and quickly gained a following of over 1.5M within two years. Her growth on the platform has been consistent, with an annual increase of 1-2M followers. Now with 11 million followers. She has gained a following on social media through her promotion of her intense exercise routine, strict diet, and dedication to fitness.
Gracyanne Barbosa is not only a source of inspiration and motivation for women looking to improve their physical health and fitness. She also takes an active role in educating and empowering women to break free from society’s expectations and taboos surrounding body image and what a “healthy” woman should look like.
By sharing her journey and experiences, Gracyanne encourages and supports women in their own fitness goals and helps them to celebrate their achievements.
The samba queen: carnival’s scene
Gracyanne Barbosa has had a significant presence in the carnival scene and has performed with multiple samba schools over the years. The fitness influencer participated in Rio’s carnival for 13 years, beginning in 2007 when she debuted as the Queen of Drums for Salgueiro.
Carnival is a yearly event that takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is known for its vibrant samba music and dance. One of the highlights of this event is the samba school competitions, where schools compete to have the most eye-catching themes and storylines.
The Queen of Drums serves as the face of the samba school and is responsible for promoting the school’s name through media and marketing efforts. She is chosen for her enthusiasm, charisma, and samba skills, and plays a crucial role in representing the school both during carnival and throughout the year.
Gracyanne is a well-known dancer who has earned the title of “Drum Queen” due to her skillful dancing and leadership role in the samba school’s drum section. She also worked for Mangueira, Vila Isabel, and Unidos da Tijuca, taking a break in 2015 and 2016 for personal reasons before returning to the carnival scene.
In addition to participating in the carnival in Rio, Gracyanne also had roles in the carnival in São Paulo. From 2018 until November 2021, she served as the samba queen of União na Ilha do Governador, an samba school in Rio de Janeiro, but was later dismissed from the samba school.
The samba queen was notified of her dismissal via Instagram. A statement from the samba school in 2021 announced her departure from the role of Queen of Drums. However, the queen claims that she learned about the dismissal through a post on the school’s Instagram profile. This event generated significant attention and controversy.
For three years, you led our school and shone brightly in our rehearsals and official parades. The community embraced you with great affection due to your professionalism, consideration, and simplicity. Thank you for everything, Gracyanne.
União da Ilha do Governador’s staff on Instagram, 2021.
After the announcement of her departure from her role as Queen of Drums, some samba fans speculated that she had left due to the samba school’s low score. Gracyanne publicly denied these allegations.
It was not my choice to leave. I found out by reading about it just like you and I am extremely sad. I love União da Ilha and will continue to love it.
Gracyanne’s commentary on the samba’s school post, comment section is now closed by the school.
She received support from her followers and was recognized for her dedication to the school. However, in response to a follower’s question about the reason for her departure, Gracyanne hinted that her departure may have been related to financial considerations by using a money emoji in her response.
Love life: dealing with prejudgement
Gracyanne and singer Belo (3M followers on Instagram) have been in a relationship for over a decade, beginning in 2007 when Gracyanne was still a dancer with Tchakabum. Some speculate that Gracyanne played a role in the breakup between Belo and actress Viviane Araújo (14M followers on Instagram), as the couple began dating shortly after the end of Belo’s previous relationship.
Gracy and Belo were married at the Candelaria Church in Rio de Janeiro on May 18, 2012. In 2016, they renewed their vows in a ceremony at the X-9 Paulistana square.
Followers of this couple greatly admire the support that one half of the pair exhibits towards the other. They consider their love to be true and worthy of admiration, given the length of their relationship and the challenges they have faced. Unfortunately, Gracyanne has faced criticism and attacks for their physical appearance, as well as bullying for their partner’s love for them. Despite these challenges, the couple remains happily together and frequently appears on the internet.
Multitasking as an business woman
Given Gracyanne’s significant presence in the fitness world and online, it is no surprise that she has been approached by brands to promote their products. As a profitable and popular fitness influencer, Gracyanne has a large following of loyal supporters who are always willing to support her and her advertisements. Additionally, Gracyanne is skilled at promoting products in a fun and engaging manner.
Gracyanne signed a partnership with the beauty brand Rosa Selvagem to promote their product, which helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks, keloids, and scars by aiding in the production of collagen and elastin.
The product is also effective at repairing deep skin damage and lightening blemishes on the body. Gracyanne’s posts promoting Rosa Selvagem have consistently received over 30K likes, demonstrating her ability to effectively influence her followers and maintain a stable presence as an influencer, even in sponsored posts.
The fitness muse is not only a product promoter, but also a successful investor. She demonstrated her financial expertise by implementing investments in her beauty salon, showcasing her visionary approach.
In addition to her work in the fitness industry, Gracyanne Barbosa has also invested heavily in the business, including the opening of her second Pink Lash franchise in the downtown shopping mall in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, in 2019.
Pink Lash, has over 850K followers on Instagram and frequently works with influential figures in the industry such as Jade Picon, Gabi Versiani, Virginia, and more. Pink Lash, which offers eyelash extension services, has become a popular trend in Brazil in recent years and continues to grow in demand, the company makes monthly BRL 50K (USD 8.9K ).
The event was attended by friends, family, and guests, and Gracyanne stated that this is just the beginning of her plans for the company, expressing a desire to open 10 Pink Lash franchises in the city. According to the CEO of Pink Lash, Samara Martins (1.6M followers on Instagram), the company has grown 400% by franchises in less than a year, with over 70 stores now present in 10 Brazilian states.
Gracyanne Barros demonstrated her acting abilities in the Multishow TV comedy series “Tô de Graça.” The fitness muse plays ”Sonaira”, who is Graça’s daughter-in-law. The show follows the story of Graça, a resourceful and determined tin can collector who must support her 13 children and unemployed husband while managing household duties.
The comedy series “Tô de Graça” has been a hit, with short clips regularly posted on the Multishow Youtube channel and attracting high levels of engagement. The show’s success is evident through its strong online presence and popularity among viewers.
One particular video featuring Gracyanne’s character on the “Tô de Graça” comedy series, featuring the couple Sonaira and Marraia (played by Evelyn Castro), received 7.7M views. The video has received a high level of engagement, with over 1.7K comments from viewers expressing their love for the dynamic between the characters Sonaira and Marraia.
Gracyanne’s interview for Quem Magazine.
Being in the cast of ‘Tô de Graça’ is a gift for my life. Acting was a desire that I had years ago, and it is growing stronger every day. However, I still have a long way to go before I can say that I have an acting career. I need to study and dedicate myself more. Acting is something that I have set as a goal, and I am working towards it.
The model has shown a dedication to empathy and using her voice to help those in need. The “Jogo da Alegria” (Match of Happiness) is a major charity sports event in Brazil that brings together influential figures in the Brazilian industry to play soccer and provide assistance to those in need.
Gracyanne’s Instagram post announcing the charity event, which alone garnered 186K likes, helped bring more attention to the project. This event, one of the largest charitable events in Brazil, operates by accepting donations of 2kg of food in exchange for tickets to the match. The model’s involvement in the charity project was widely appreciated by the public and was a successful fundraising effort in 2021, resulting in the distribution of over 30 tons of food to communities in need in Maceió.
Gracyanne Barbosa is a role model for positivity, authenticity, and self-love. She is an example of how to be a happy and healthy individual, both through her characteristics and her actions.
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