Rita Lee, Queen of Brazilian Rock, Dies at 75

Singer Rita Lee died on the night of Monday, May 8, at her residence in São Paulo. Known as the queen of Brazilian rock, the composer was also undergoing treatment for lung cancer.

According to her relatives, Rita Lee will have a wake open to the public on May 10, at the Planetarium in Iburapuera Park, in São Paulo. Then the singer will be cremated, as per her wish.

Who was Rita Lee?

Defender of women's rights, Rita Lee was one of the first to play guitar on stage. Owner of straight hair, with bangs and dyed red, the artist participated in the group Os Mutantes, in the 1960s and 1970s, becoming famous nationally.

Rita Lee was married to guitarist and musical partner Roberto de Carvalho. The singer she had three children: João, Antônio and Beto. The latter is also a guitarist. The singer also had two grandchildren: Izabella and Arthur.

Rita Lee's Music Career

Rita Lee stood out in Brazilian music not only for being one of the greatest singers and composers, but also for having made her presence felt by being

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one of the first women to play guitar on stage. Her irreverence, attitude and posture made her known as the queen of Brazilian rock.

→ Participation in the group Os Mutantes

Rita Lee seated, playing a percussion instrument and singing with the group Os Mutantes. — Rita Lee was the muse of the group Os Mutantes [3]

Rita Lee participated in the psychedelic rock musical group Os Mutantes between 1966 and 1972. The band started its activities by fitting into the movement Tropicália, whose leaders were Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil.

Os Mutantes were influenced by groups such as The Beatles and singer and guitarist Jimi Hendrix. They sang songs in English, and also the group liked to singin Portuguese is value the Brazilian culture. Therefore, Os Mutantes are considered a pioneering band in musical hybridity. The group participated in several television programs in the 1960's. He released his first self-titled album in 1968. One of the band's main songs is called Panis et Circenses.

Do not stop now... There's more after the publicity ;)

In 1970, Os Mutantes released the album The Divine Comedy or I'm a little off, definitely considered a progressive rock album. Rita Lee's last album in the group was Mutants and Their Comets in the Country of the Baurets, from 1972. Research points out that Rita Lee, in fact, she was asked to leave the bandbecause of musical disagreements. As Arnaldo Baptista stated: “I sent Rita away from Os Mutantes”.

→ Tutti Frutti band and solo career

After she left Os Mutantes, Rita Lee formed, in 1973, another band with friends called Tutti Frutti. In this group, the artist sang and played guitar, piano, harmonica and synthesizer. It was in the 1970s that Rita released several of her musical successes, consolidating itself as the queen of brazilian rock.

Read too: Chico Buarque — one of the main names in Brazilian Popular Music