The singer-songwriter Rita Leeconsidered the “queen” of Brazilian rock, died in Sao Paulo at the age of 75, her family reported Tuesday on social media.
The artist, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021, died on Monday “at her residence in Sao Paulo, last night, surrounded by all the love of her family, as she always wanted,” said a statement published in your Instagram account.
Rita Lee helped usher the rock revolution into the creative explosion of tropicalismo, formed the most revered Brazilian rock band in the world, you mutantsand created songs in his solo career with enormous popular appeal without losing their freedom and irreverence.
Always modern, she was a benchmark for female creativity and independence during her almost 60-year career. The title “queen of Brazilian rock” came almost naturally, but she thought it was “cheesy”: she preferred “patron saint of freedom.”
The life and work of Rita Lee
Born in São Paulo on December 31, 1947. Her father, Charles Jones, was a dentist and the son of American immigrants; his Italian mother, Romilda PadulaPianist.
the musical path of Rita Lee started in adolescence. She was 16 years old when she joined the Teenage Singersa vocal trio from which he went on to his first rock band, Six Sided Rockersthe genesis of you mutants. They made history by combining psychedelia with music with Brazilian roots and with that they had an impact on a global level: from Kurt Cobain to david byrneThey all idolized them.
He was in the trio from 1966 to 1972, its pivotal years. He recorded five albums there: Os Mutantes, Mutantes, A Divina Comédia ou Ando Meio Disligado, Jardim Electric and Mutantes y sus cometas en el país de los Bauretz.
His solo debut was the 1970 album Build Up, before his departure from the Mutants. After leaving the trio he formed the group Tutti Frutti and under that umbrella he released five more albums. Then, in 1979, she began a creative partnership with her husband Roberto de Carvalho. It was then that she defined herself as a soloist.
One of his most successful albums was Rita Lee, from 1979; the following year she would release two of her biggest hits, the songs “Lança Perfume” and “Baila comigo”. She was a popular rocker before and after the genre became a commercial phenomenon in Brazil in the mid-1980s..
In 1996 he fell from the balcony of his house under the influence of medication, and fractured his jaw. He then began to try to quit alcohol and drugs, but would later say that he only succeeded in January 2006.
In 2001, Rita Lee won the Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Rock Album with 3001. She racked up five other nominations and last year received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
He had retired from live shows in 2012.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
