Jorge Antonio Rocha and Faruk Zorlu
10 May 2023•Update: 11 May 2023
MEXICO CITY/ANKARA
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a decree Tuesday declaring three days of national mourning over the death Rita Lee, who is regarded as the country’s undisputed “Queen of Rock.”
The 75-year-old musician, composer and co-founder of the band Os Mutantes died Monday night at her residence in Sao Paulo after a two-year battle with lung cancer. Lee’s family confirmed her death on social media.
Lula expressed his condolences and admiration for the late singer on his Twitter account.
"Rita Lee Jones is one of the biggest and brightest names in Brazilian music. Singer, composer, actress and multi-instrumentalist. An artist ahead of her time. She thought the title of rock queen was inappropriate, but the moniker does justice to her career," he wrote.
"She spared nothing and no one with her humor and eloquence. She confronted misogyny in life and music and inspired generations of women in rock and art. She will never be forgotten and leaves her legacy in music and books for millions of fans around the world. My fraternal embrace to the children Beto, João and Antônio, family and friends. Rita, now you’re missed," wrote Lula.
The wake will be open to the public at the Planetarium of Ibirapuera Park on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time.
Quick chronological overview of Lee's life
Lee was born in Sao Paulo on Dec. 31, 1947. She was a pioneer in Brazil's music scene, merging traditional music and sounds from her homeland with the wave of US and British rock, pop and psychedelia.
She grew up in a musical family and began playing the piano at a young age.
She began her music career in the 1960s as a founding member of the band Os Mutantes, which was at the forefront of the Tropicalia movement, a cultural and musical movement that emerged in Brazil in the late 1960s.
Her prime in music came amid Brazil's military dictatorship. A provocateur, co-founder and lead singer of Os Mutantes, she used her music and aesthetic to challenge the ongoing authoritarianism in her country.
The Tropicalia movement was characterized by its fusion of Brazilian and international music styles, as well as its social and political critique of Brazilian society and culture.
To pursue her solo career, she left Os Mutantes in 1972 and released numerous albums and hits that blended rock, pop, and Brazilian rhythms.
In 1970, Lee released her first solo album, Build Up, which showcased her versatile vocal and instrumental skills.
The album's hit single Agora So Falta Voce helped establish her as a major solo artist with the song's catchy melody, playful lyrics, and infectious rhythm.
In 1975, she released the album Fruto Proibido, which became a landmark in Brazilian rock music and featured the hit song Lança Perfume.
The album marked a shift in her music towards a more pop-oriented sound, while still retaining her signature blend of Brazilian and international influences.
Throughout the 1980s, she continued to release successful albums and singles, including Banho de Espuma and Cor de Rosa Choque. She also worked with her husband, Roberto de Carvalho, on several albums, including Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho (Rita Lee & Roberto) in 1986.
Besides her music career, she became a prominent advocate for social and environmental causes.
In the 1990s, she resumed releasing albums and tours regularly, while also becoming a prominent advocate for environmental and social causes.
*In 2012, she announced her retirement from the music industry.
A biographical documentary about her titled Rita Lee: Uma Autobiografia was released in 2020.
Regarded as one of the most important and influential musicians in Brazilian popular music, Lee has influenced generations of Brazilian artists and has helped to shape the Brazilian music scene in the second half of the 20th century.
