Rita Lee — founding member of Tropicália group Os Mutantes, Brazil's "Queen of Rock" and one of the first Brazilian musicians to record with an electric guitar — has died at 75 of undisclosed causes, according to a statement posted on the musician's official Instagram page. A public memorial for Lee will take place tomorrow at São Paulo's Professor Aristóteles Orsini Planetarium.
Lee formed Os Mutantes with sibling duo Arnaldo Baptista and Sérgio Dias Baptista in 1966, with their now-classic self-titled debut arriving in '68 — the album was a revolutionary fusion of psychedelia, pop, and now-commonplace experimental techniques like distortion, feedback, and musique concrète.
Os Mutantes went on to become one of the most beloved and influential groups in Brazilian music history, impacting the likes of David Byrne, Kurt Cobain, Of Montreal and many others. The band went through numerous lineup changes in its long history, including a hiatus from the late '70s to the early 2000s before officially reuniting in 2006.
Lee released her debut solo album Build Up in 1970, the first of more than 20 albums. She also released many records in collaboration with her husband Roberto de Carvalho under the name Rita Lee & Roberto. Lee truly did it all, composing, singing and playing a handful of instruments, including guitar, autoharp, harmonica, piano and drums.
Reza, Lee's final solo album was released in 2012. That same year, she announced her retirement from live performance. In 2021, Lee and de Carvalho shared a new song called "Change," plus some remixes of some of Lee's most iconic songs.
Lee formed Os Mutantes with sibling duo Arnaldo Baptista and Sérgio Dias Baptista in 1966, with their now-classic self-titled debut arriving in '68 — the album was a revolutionary fusion of psychedelia, pop, and now-commonplace experimental techniques like distortion, feedback, and musique concrète.
Os Mutantes went on to become one of the most beloved and influential groups in Brazilian music history, impacting the likes of David Byrne, Kurt Cobain, Of Montreal and many others. The band went through numerous lineup changes in its long history, including a hiatus from the late '70s to the early 2000s before officially reuniting in 2006.
Lee released her debut solo album Build Up in 1970, the first of more than 20 albums. She also released many records in collaboration with her husband Roberto de Carvalho under the name Rita Lee & Roberto. Lee truly did it all, composing, singing and playing a handful of instruments, including guitar, autoharp, harmonica, piano and drums.
Reza, Lee's final solo album was released in 2012. That same year, she announced her retirement from live performance. In 2021, Lee and de Carvalho shared a new song called "Change," plus some remixes of some of Lee's most iconic songs.
