Rita Lee, Os Mutantes Co-Founder and Brazillian Rock Singer, Dies at 75
09.05.2023 - 18:27
/ variety.com
Thania Garcia Rita Lee, one of Brazil’s top-selling rock artists and an original member of the tropicalia band Os Mutantes, died on May 5 after struggling with lung cancer. She was 75. The news was confirmed on Tuesday morning via Lee’s official Instagram account which, translated from Portuguese, stated: “We announce the death of Rita Lee, at her residence, in São Paulo, capital, late last night, surrounded by all the love of her family, as she always wanted.” The post also made note that Lee’s body will be cremated, according to her wishes, and included a public invite to attend her wake on May 10.
A post shared by Rita Lee Jones (@ritalee_oficial) Lee was born on Dec. 31, 1947, in Sao Paulo, to her father, a dentist of U.S. descent, and her mother, a Brazilian pianist. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Lee learned to play the piano, along with several other instruments including drums, guitar, harmonica and autoharp. She also spoke multiple languages including Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and English.
As a young singer-songwriter, Lee was introduced to brothers Arnaldo and Sérgio Dias Baptista, and together, the trio began performing under the stage name Os Mutantes in 1966. Their music — a novel blend of electric guitars, orchestral sounds and American psychedelic rock — stuck out like a sore thumb among the pop music that was being produced in Brazil at the time. Still, the group was championed by illustrious Brazilian musicians such as Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso. Os Mutantes went on to release their now-acclaimed self-titled debut album in 1968 and went on frequent tours across Europe. By 1973, Lee had left Os Mutantes and formed another band called Tutti Frutti which produced hits “Ovelha