The greatest personality of Brazilian rock passed away after a long fight against cancer
Queen is a word that emits little value when we talk about the importance of Rita Lee. Simply the biggest name in Brazilian rock, Rita, from an early age, trod virtuous paths, first with Os Mutantes,later, on a solo career with the support of the band Tutti Frutti and further ahead with his faithful squire, Roberto de Carvalho.
There were many radio hits that included great soap operas and love stories. Also many visceral and psychedelic songs, eternalized and loved worldwide. Not to mention the important collaboration in the Tropicalismo alongside Sérgio Dias and Arnaldo Baptista.
She also brought us to the scene Lucinha Turnbull, the first female guitarist in Brazil, who played for a while with Tutti Frutti and went on the road with other big names in music. With her, Rita created the Cilibrinas do Éden project in 1973, which, unfortunately, was short-lived.
After a long fight against lung cancer, Rita left us last night (8), surrounded by her family. She, who revolutionized the world of Brazilian music in so many layers, is in the basic disco for every music lover with fundamental albums, such as "Fruto Proibido" (1975) and "Rita Lee" (1979), which features the classics "Mania de Você", "Chega Mais" and "Doce Vampiro". With her husband, guitarist Roberto De Carvalho, she added a touch of shine to national pop.
She was audacious enough to include sex in a poetic way in her songs, from the censored phrase of "Ave Lucifer" (1970), which she released with Os Mutantes, to the hit "Lança Perfume". She found the term queen too cheesy and, no less, preferred "patron saint of freedom".
Mocky, avant-garde, from São Paulo. Well, man! The coolest mina de sampa was to be a rock singer in another sphere. Neither luxury nor rubbish, she wanted to be immortal. And here for us, Rita, you did it. It is forever in our memory, our history and in our lives.