Xote it is a dance music rhythm performed by several singers and forró ensembles. It's a dance rhythm that's played on June festivities in several states in northeastern Brazil.
The gaucho xote is a variation of the rhythm, played in the extreme south of Brazil.
The word xote originated from the German word "schottisch", which means Scottish, as the dance was initially a reference to the Scottish polka.
The "schottsch" arrived in Brazil in 1851, through the Portuguese José Maria Toussaint. Initially it was only widespread among the elite, but it did not take long for the slaves to become interested, and through observations, they ended up adapting the choreography to their own way, with more turns and movements, becoming known under the name of xotis or xote.
The xote has become a typical dance in the Northeast of Brazil. It is played by a band composed mainly of accordion, tambourine and triangle.
There are other types, such as the xote carreirinha, where couples run in the same direction, very common in Rio Grande do Sul, and the seven-round xote, in which the couple has to go around the room, in one direction, then towards contrary.
