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Rita Lee

Brazilian musician (1947–2023) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rita Lee
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For the 1979 album, see Rita Lee (album).

Rita Lee Jones de Carvalho (born Rita Lee Jones; 31 December 1947 – 8 May 2023), known professionally as Rita Lee,[a] was a Brazilian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, writer, television presenter and activist. Widely regarded as the most influential female figure in Brazilian rock and one of the country's greatest musical innovators, she sold over 55 million records, making her the best-selling Brazilian female artist of all time and the fourth overall.

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Lee's career was marked by continual reinvention and a fearless blending of genres. Beginning with the psychedelic rock of Os Mutantes (1966–1972), she later explored Tropicália, glam rock, disco, new wave, pop rock, bossa nova, electronic music and acoustic styles, creating a pioneering hybrid of international and national influences.[1] After leading Tutti Frutti (1973–1978), whose 1975 album Fruto Proibido is regarded as the cornerstone of Brazilian rock and was ranked by Rolling Stone Brasil among the greatest albums in Brazilian music history,[2] she achieved her greatest commercial success in the late 1970s and 1980s with a series of albums—Rita Lee (1979), Rita Lee (1980), Saúde (1981) and Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho (1982)—that dominated the charts and solidified her as a national icon. From 1976 onward she worked almost exclusively with multi-instrumentalist and composer Roberto de Carvalho, her lifelong romantic and creative partner and father of their three children.

Throughout her sixty-year career, Lee's lyrics—often laced with sharp irony and feminist themes[3]—produced enduring hits including "Ovelha Negra", "Agora Só Falta Você", "Mania de Você", "Chega Mais", "Doce Vampiro", "Lança Perfume", "Baila Comigo", "Saúde", "Banho de Espuma", "Flagra", "Erva Venenosa" and "Amor e Sexo". A vegan and outspoken advocate for animal rights, women's rights and the LGBT community, she was nicknamed the "Queen of Brazilian Rock" and "Patron Saint of Liberty". She is the recipient of twelve Brazilian Music Awards, the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2022), the APCA Grand Critics' Prize for Popular Music (2016), the UBC Prize (2024; alongside Carvalho), and Brazil's Order of Cultural Merit (2003) and Order of Rio Branco (2023).

Lee retired from touring in 2012 but continued releasing music, books and occasional collaborations until 2021. Diagnosed with lung cancer that year, she died in May 2023 at age 75.

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Early life

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Lee as a child, in a family photo.

Rita Lee Jones was born on 31 December 1947 in São Paulo, the youngest daughter of Charles Fenley Jones, a Brazilian-born dentist of American descent—his Confederate ancestors from Alabama and Tennessee had settled in Santa Bárbara d'Oeste after the American Civil War—and Romilda Padula, a pianist of Italian origin from Molise.[4][5] Her two older sisters were Mary Lee and Virgínia Lee Jones; their father gave all three daughters the compound middle name "Lee" in honor of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.[6] Although her parents initially intended to name her Bárbara after Saint Barbara, at the baptism they chose Rita to honour her maternal grandmother Clorinda, who was known as Rita.[7]

Lee grew up in the middle-class Vila Mariana neighbourhood, where she lived until the birth of her first child. She later described the area as holding many of her fondest memories.[8] She attended the French-Brazilian Liceu Pasteur, becoming fluent in Portuguese, English, French, Spanish, and Italian. In 1968 she briefly enrolled in the Social Communication course at the University of São Paulo alongside the future actress Regina Duarte, but dropped out the following year.[9][10]

As a child she studied classical piano with Magda Tagliaferro. Initially she dreamed of becoming an actress or veterinarian; her father hoped she would follow him into dentistry.[11] Her early musical tastes were shaped by both American rock and roll—particularly Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones—and the Brazilian classics her parents played at home, including João Gilberto, Cauby Peixoto, Angela Maria, Maysa Matarazzo, and Carmen Miranda.[12]

In her teens Lee began writing songs and performing. She first sang in public with Tulio's Trio,[13] then formed an all-female vocal group, the Teenage Singers, who appeared at school parties. In 1964 they merged with a male trio, the Wooden Faces,[14] to create the Six Sided Rockers; the band soon changed its name to Os Seis and released a single.[12] After three members left, Lee and brothers Arnaldo and Sérgio Dias Baptista continued as Os Bruxos. In 1966, shortly before their television debut on O Pequeno Mundo de Ronnie Von (TV Record), presenter Ronnie Von—prompted by a suggestion from producer Alberto Helena Júnior inspired by the science-fiction novel O Império dos Mutantes by Stefan Wul—proposed the name Os Mutantes. The trio immediately adopted it.[15]

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Musical career

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Os Mutantes and early solo albums (1966–72)

Main article: Os Mutantes
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Os Mutantes in 1969; from left: Arnaldo Baptista, Lee and Sérgio Dias.
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Os Mutantes in 1971

For six years, Lee was a core member of the pioneering tropicalista band Os Mutantes, alongside Arnaldo Baptista and Sérgio Dias. She contributed lead vocals, flute, and percussion, while occasionally playing synthesizer, banjo, and autoharp. Lee also experimented with unconventional sound sources, such as a pest-control spray pump to create effects in the track "Le Premier Bonheur du Jour", and served as the group's primary lyricist.[16] In 1967, Os Mutantes backed Gilberto Gil at the III Festival de Música Popular Brasileira on TV Record, performing his composition "Domingo no Parque".[17]

The band released six studio albums between 1968 and 1972. Their self-titled debut (1968) is widely regarded as a landmark of Brazilian music, blending psychedelia, tropicalismo, and avant-garde elements to produce enduring hits including "A Minha Menina", "Dom Quixote", "Balada do Louco", "2001 (Dois Mil e Um)", and "Ando Meio Desligado". Lee married bandmate Arnaldo Baptista in 1968; the couple separated in 1972, with their divorce finalized in 1977.[16]

While still with Os Mutantes, Lee recorded two solo albums featuring backing from her bandmates. Build Up (1970), her debut, included several songs co-written with Arnaldo; it originated as the setlist for a private corporate event organized by the Fenit company in São Paulo.[18] The album yielded her first solo single, "José", a Portuguese-language cover of Georges Moustaki's "Joseph" (previously recorded by Nara Leão). Her second effort, Hoje É o Primeiro Dia do Resto da Sua Vida (1972), was credited solely to Lee because Os Mutantes had already released an album that year, and their Philips contract prohibited additional releases under the band name. Os Mutantes performed and recorded the material, but only Lee appeared on the cover and received billing.[16]

Tensions arose from the dissolution of her marriage and disagreements over the band's shift toward progressive rock. Lee was expelled from Os Mutantes by Arnaldo in 1972. Accounts of the departure vary, with some early reports suggesting she left voluntarily. Lee later described the moment in her 2016 autobiography Rita Lee: uma autobiografia:

My exit from the group happened in the classic style of "the groom is the last to know"—in this case, the bride. After spending the day out, I arrived at rehearsal to find a tense, heavy atmosphere. One would look away, another stared at the ceiling, fiddling with their instrument and such. Finally, Arnaldo broke the ice, took the floor, and informed me—not in these exact words, but the meaning was the same—that I was the corpse at this funeral. "We've decided that from now on, you're out of Os Mutantes because we're going in a progressive-virtuoso direction, and you don't have the chops as an instrumentalist." A spit in the face would have been less humiliating. Instead of falling to my knees, crying and begging forgiveness for being born a woman, I made a silent, elegant exit. I left the room in dramatic fashion, packed my bags, grabbed Danny (the dog), and adiós.[19]

In a 2007 interview, Arnaldo confirmed: "I kicked Rita out of Os Mutantes."[20]

Tutti Frutti and national acclaim (1973–78)

Main article: Tutti Frutti (Brazilian band)
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Lee in 1971

Lee briefly formed the folk-rock duo Cilibrinas do Éden with guitarist Lúcia Turnbull. The pair performed only once, at the Phono 73 festival; a recording of the set surfaced commercially more than 35 years later.[21][22] The duo soon disbanded, and Lee assembled the hard-rock band Tutti Frutti with lead guitarist Luis Sérgio Carlini and bassist Lee Marcucci. In addition to vocals, she played piano, synthesizer, harmonica, and guitar.[16] Philips Records signed the group but insisted on billing them as "Rita Lee & Tutti-Frutti".[23] An initial album was recorded but shelved by the label for being "too alternative" and facing censorship issues.[24]

The band returned to the studio and released Atrás do Porto Tem uma Cidade in June 1974.[16] Influenced by the blues-rock of the Rolling Stones and the glam aesthetics of David Bowie, the album spawned successful singles "Mamãe Natureza" (Lee's first original composition after Os Mutantes), "Pé de Meia", and "Menino Bonito".[25] Producer Marco Mazzola, hired without the band's consent, heavily altered arrangements—particularly on "Menino Bonito"—prompting widespread dissatisfaction.[26] Frustrated by Phonogram's interference, Lee exited the label.[27] In January 1975, Tutti Frutti opened the Hollywood Rock festival; the performance marked Turnbull's final appearance with the group.[28]

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Lee in 1972

In June 1975, Som Livre issued Fruto Proibido, widely considered Lee's masterpiece and a cornerstone of Brazilian rock. Driven by hits such as "Agora Só Falta Você", "Esse Tal de Roque Enrow", and "Ovelha Negra", the album eventually sold 700,000 copies, peaked at number 7 on IBOPE's weekly Brazil albums chart, and ranked 12th among the country's best-selling records for 1976.[b][31][32] This success earned Lee the moniker "Queen of Brazilian Rock",[33] with its tracks dominating radio playlists and enabling Tutti Frutti to mount Brazil's first nationwide rock tour, covering major capitals from north to south.[34] The trek concluded at the 1976 Saquarema Festival, where the band headlined the final night.[35]

Entradas e Bandeiras followed in 1976, yielding singles "Coisas da Vida", "Corista de Rock", and "Com a Boca no Mundo", alongside "Bruxa Amarela" (co-written by Raul Seixas and Paulo Coelho). Lee was absent during mixing, resulting in a guitar-heavy sound dominated by Carlini.[16] That year, she began a romantic and eventual professional partnership with musician Roberto de Carvalho.[36]

In August 1976, while pregnant with her first child and living with Carvalho, Lee was arrested for marijuana possession. She maintained that she had ceased drug use due to her pregnancy and that the substances belonged to visitors.[37] The incident, occurring under Brazil's military dictatorship, was widely viewed as an attempt to exemplar youth culture.[38] Shaken and facing financial strain, Lee released the provocative single "Arrombou a Festa" (co-written with Paulo Coelho) in March 1977, critiquing the contemporary MPB scene;[36] it sold over 200,000 copies.[39] Her son Roberto (Beto Lee) was born that month, followed by João in 1979 and Antônio in 1981.[40]

After house arrest ended, Lee joined Gilberto Gil for the Refestança Tour, visiting eight capitals in October–November 1977. A live album documented the collaboration.[41] In 1978, Tutti Frutti issued Babilônia, producing hits "Jardins da Babilônia", "Agora é Moda", "Eu e Meu Gato", and the futuristic "Miss Brasil 2000".[42] Internal conflicts led to the band's dissolution; Carlini, who had trademarked the name, departed with it. Lee reformed the lineup for the Rita Lee & Cães e Gatos show—named for rehearsal disputes—yielding one of Brazil's earliest bootleg recordings, now a collector's item.[16]

Partnership with Roberto de Carvalho and commercial peak (1979–90)

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Lyrics to the song "Papai Me Empresta o Carro" (1979), banned by the Federal Censorship Board.

By 1979 Lee and Roberto de Carvalho had formed a prolific songwriting and performing partnership in a "dynamic duo" format, ushering in a highly pop-oriented phase with enormous popular appeal that led to numerous live performances and several TV specials for TV Globo.[43] Their debut joint album, simply titled Rita Lee (1979), featured the hits "Mania de Você", "Chega Mais", and "Doce Vampiro", selling 800,000 copies and marking a watershed shift from rock to a more accessible pop language that established Lee as Brazil's first pop superstar.[44][36][45] That year she participated in the TV Globo special Mulher 80, a programme dedicated to celebrating prominent female singers in Brazilian music—referred to as the "radio singers"—through interviews and performances.[46]

The 1980 follow-up—universally known as the Lança Perfume album—became a landmark of Brazilian pop-rock amid a severe industry crisis that saw sales plummet for major artists. It sold over one million copies in Brazil and 200,000 in Argentina, while charting in France (where the title track reached number one on the playlists of the three largest radio stations), Israel, Japan, and the United States (Billboard top 70).[47][48] It ranked seventh on Brazil's 1981 year-end chart and is widely regarded as the most recognisable release of Lee's career.[30][16] The album blended rock, reggae, rumba, jazz, R&B, and bolero in an exuberant celebration of love, sensuality, and female desire. Standout tracks included "Lança Perfume", "Baila Comigo", "Caso Sério", "Nem Luxo, Nem Lixo", and "Bem-Me-Quer". Produced by Guto Graça Mello and Roberto de Carvalho, it featured a stellar studio lineup that included Lincoln Olivetti, Robson Jorge, Jamil Joanes, and a young Lulu Santos.[49] Around this time, then-Prince Charles publicly declared Lee his favorite singer.[50]

Saúde (1981) faced censorship for lyrics deemed contrary to "good morals" and featured the return of Lúcia Turnbull on backing vocals and brass arrangements. It maintained her commercial dominance, selling 430,000 copies by October 1982 and earning her recognition as the "legitimate queen of Brazilian pop" while continuing the distinctive "rockarnaval" style she and Carvalho pioneered.[16] It yielded nationwide number-one singles "Saúde" and "Banho de Espuma".[51]

The duo's next release, Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho (1982), celebrated femininity, female anatomy, and women's experiences in songs such as "Cor de Rosa Choque", "Só de Você", "Vote em Mim", "Barata Tonta", and the chart-topping "Flagra".[16][51] It remains Lee's best-selling album, exceeding three million copies and ranking third in Brazil for 1983.[52][30] In December 1982 Lee previewed the forthcoming tour with a performance before 20,000 at Ginásio do Ibirapuera for TV Globo's year-end special O Circo;[53] the full arena tour the following year inaugurated the era of mega-stadium shows by Brazilian artists, drawing 500,000 attendees across the country—the largest by any domestic act at the time—in a lavish super-production featuring elaborate scenography, lighting, and costume changes, concluding with 25,000 at Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro.[54][55][56]

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During her record-breaking tours, Lee performed in various arenas and gyms, including the Ginásio do Ibirapuera and the Mineirinho.


Bombom (1983) faced severe censorship from the Federal Police's Department of Public Entertainment for lyrics that alluded to politicians of the military regime. The initial vinyl pressing had two tracks—"Arrombou o Cofre" and "Degustação"—deliberately scratched with razor blades to prevent playback, and both public performance and radio airplay were banned; the album was also prohibited for sale to minors under 18.[57] Following the deaths of both parents and a period of personal difficulty involving alcohol and drugs, Lee adopted a darker, more cinematic tone on Rita e Roberto (1985). She pioneered the music-video-album concept in Brazil, producing narrative clips for every track; in December 1985 TV Globo aired a primetime special showcasing nine of these videos—directed by Roberto Talma, Nelson Motta, Tizuka Yamasaki, Herbert Richers Jr., and Jorge Fernando—in which Lee portrayed tragicomic characters such as Gloria Frankenstein. Though critically acclaimed, its somber atmosphere interrupted her streak of massive radio hits and sold a comparatively modest 500,000 copies.[58][59] Lee subsequently left Som Livre, signed with EMI, and regained strong radio and chart presence with Flerte Fatal (1987), led by the single "Pega Rapaz".[16]

Flerte Fatal was followed by a farewell-to-arenas tour (1987–1988) that extended to Europe and the United States,[60][61] and by Zona Zen (1988), which included "Livre Outra Vez" and "Independência e Vida". During this period Lee underwent surgery for vocal-cord nodules and facial injuries after a car accident. The duo closed the decade with the self-titled 1990 album, which included "Perto do Fogo" (co-written with Cazuza).[62]

Between 1979 and 1985 Lee scored six number-one singles on Brazilian radio: "Mania de Você", "Chega Mais", "Baila Comigo", "Saúde", "Banho de Espuma", and "Flagra".[51]

Critical acclaim and renewed success (1991–04)

In 1991, Lee temporarily parted professionally from Carvalho and launched the successful acoustic Bossa 'n Roll Tour, releasing the pioneering live album of the same name—one of the first major unplugged records in Brazil, recorded several years before the Acústico MTV phenomenon and eventually selling 400,000 copies.[63][64] She returned to straightforward rock with the 1993 album Rita Lee.[16]

The couple reunited onstage in 1995 for the A Marca da Zorra Tour.[16] That same year, while opening for the Rolling Stones at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Lee appeared dressed as the Virgin Mary, recited the Hail Mary, and performed "Todas as Mulheres do Mundo". The song's irreverent yet ultimately empathetic portrayal of women from all walks of life provoked nationwide controversy and led the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro to declare her excommunicated, stating that the act had "offended the religious feelings of the majority of the population."[65] The couple married officially in December 1996, and Lee began to use the name Rita Lee Jones de Carvalho.[16]

At the 9th Sharp Brazilian Music Awards, Lee swept three categories in one night—Best Pop/Rock Female Singer, Best Pop/Rock Album (A Marca da Zorra), and Best Live Show ("A Marca da Zorra"). Accepting the awards, she remarked:

Deep down, for me who has always had my work heavily criticized, it feels really good to finally be recognized.[66]

The following year, before the release of Santa Rita de Sampa, she was the ceremony's principal honoree alongside Fernanda Montenegro. The tribute featured performances by Caetano Veloso ("Agora Só Falta Você"), Gilberto Gil ("Jardins da Babilônia"), Ney Matogrosso ("Bandido Corazón"), Zélia Duncan ("Lá Vou Eu"), Fernanda Abreu ("Dançar Pra Não Dançar"), and Joyce (who performed the tribute song "Minha Gata Rita Lee").[67] Her 1998 Acústico MTV, featuring guest appearances by Cássia Eller ("Luz del Fuego"), Paula Toller ("Desculpe o Auê"), Titãs ("Papai, Me Empresta o Carro"), and Milton Nascimento ("Mania de Você"),[68] sold 650,000 copies—her highest album sales since Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho (1982)—and has been ranked by Rolling Stone Brasil and Correio Braziliense among the best entries in the series.[69][70][71]

3001 (2000), featuring collaborations with Tom Zé and Itamar Assumpção,[16] won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Portuguese Language Rock or Alternative Album.[72] An international tour (2000–2001) aired as a Rede Bandeirantes special with guests Caetano Veloso, Zélia Duncan, Paula Toller, and Pato Fu.[73] Lee recorded Beatles covers for Aqui, Ali, Em Qualquer Lugar (2001; released internationally as Bossa 'n Beatles), blending bossa nova, rock, and forró. The record reached number one in Argentina, earned platinum certification there, and led to a sold-out concert at Buenos Aires' Luna Park that was widely regarded as her consecration in the country.[74][75]

Compilation albums Para Sempre and Novelas (2001–2002) followed, the latter collecting her telenovela themes.[76] Lee joined GNT's Saia Justa (2002) alongside Fernanda Young and Marisa Orth. Balacobaco (2003) sold 550,000 copies behind the hit "Amor e Sexo" and marked her return to major commercial success with a studio album of entirely new material—her first major seller since the late 1980s.[77][78] In 2004, she performed for over 200,000 at São Paulo's Vale do Anhangabaú during the city's 450th-anniversary celebrations.[79]

Reza and retirement from the stage (2007–2014)

In 2007 Biscoito Fino released the three-DVD box set Biograffiti, directed by Roberto de Oliveira. The three thematic volumes (Ovelha Negra, Baila Comigo, and Cor de Rosa Choque) are built around extensive interviews Lee gave for the project, interwoven with rare archival footage. She revisits her departure from Os Mutantes, stating there was no chance of a reunion "unless the money is really good, then I might change my mind," and reflects on her distance from drugs and her self-described "square grandma" phase ("If being square means being a mix of Grandma Duck and Dercy Gonçalves, then tell the people I'm in"). Each disc closes with a previously unreleased song later included on her upcoming album.[80][81]

In 2010, Lee launched the Etc... Tour, which debuted in Belo Horizonte and featured several hits that had long been absent from her setlists.[82][83] The production visited numerous Brazilian cities—including São Paulo,[83] Porto Alegre,[84] and Rio de Janeiro[85]—and extended to Buenos Aires with a performance at the Teatro Gran Rex.[86]

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Lee performing on the Etc... Tour, May 2011

On 21 January 2012, during the opening night of a new season at Circo Voador in Rio de Janeiro, Lee announced her retirement from live performances, citing physical fragility. She clarified on Twitter: "I'm retiring from shows, but never from music."[87] Her intended farewell concert took place the following week at the Projeto Verão festival in Aracaju, Sergipe. During the show, she publicly criticised the military police for their aggressive handling of the audience.[88] Charged with contempt of authority, she was briefly detained after the performance to provide a statement but was soon released.[89][90] Lee later described her remarks as having been made "in the heat of the moment" and condemned the police response as "brutal and unnecessary."[91]

That same year, she participated in the Carnival parade of the São Paulo samba school Águia de Ouro, whose 2012 theme celebrated Tropicália. Other figures from the movement, including Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, joined the procession alongside veteran singers Wanderléa, Cauby Peixoto, and Angela Maria. Lee paid homage to the actress Leila Diniz.[92]

After a nine-year hiatus from recording new studio material—her previous album having been Balacobaco (2003)—Lee released Reza (2012). It became one of the most consumed records in Brazil that year,[62] with its lead single quickly overtaking Michel Teló's "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" to become the most-downloaded track on iTunes Brazil.[93] The following month, the song entered the soundtrack of the TV Globo telenovela Avenida Brasil.[94]

In November 2012, Lee returned to the stage for a one-off appearance at the Green Move Festival in Belo Horizonte, sharing the bill with Titãs and Jota Quest. During the performance, she briefly lowered her trousers and turned to the audience, generating considerable media controversy.[95] In January 2013, she performed at the concert commemorating the 459th anniversary of São Paulo in Vale do Anhangabaú, declaring: "I'm not leaving here," in reference to her native city.[96]

In April 2013, Lee gave a rare in-depth interview to Marie Claire magazine, identifying aging as the greatest remaining taboo for women and stating: "To age with dignity, a woman must let go. It's very complex."[97] In March 2014, she ceased dyeing her trademark red hair and embraced her natural grey, explaining: "I want to be anonymous."[98]

Final years (2014–2023)

In my day, they said women couldn't wear pants. So I went ahead and wore them. Then they told me that to play rock you had to have balls. Well, with my uterus and ovaries, I went out and played rock anyway. They also said women weren't allowed to talk about sex and pleasure. So I went ahead and made songs about it.[99]

In 2014 the musical Rita Lee Mora ao Lado, adapted from Henrique Bartsch's book of the same name and starring Mel Lisboa, premiered in São Paulo.[100][101] Lee attended one of the performances; the sight of the singer in the audience moved Lisboa to tears.[102] Lisboa later won the Quem Prize for Best Theatre Actress and received a congratulatory video message from Lee during her acceptance speech.[103]

In 2015 a comprehensive box set containing twenty remastered albums from Lee's discography, together with a disc of rarities, was released.[104] During the COVID-19 pandemic, a planned guest appearance at her son Beto Lee's concert in São Paulo was cancelled because of quarantine restrictions. Lee spent the period composing extensively and announced plans for a new studio album—her first since Reza (2012)—which was to include a punk-rock song titled "Vírus do Horror" about the pandemic;[105] the project, however, never materialised. In 2021 the Tocantins duo Anavitória released the song "Amarelo, Azul e Branco" from their album Cor, featuring her reciting a passage from Simone de Beauvoir;[106] later that year she released the single "Change", a collaboration with Carvalho and electronic producer Gui Boratto that featured on the soundtrack of the telenovela Um Lugar ao Sol.[107]

Lee's final years brought a series of major honors recognising her lifetime contribution to music. In 2016 she received the APCA Grand Critics' Prize in Popular Music for her overall contribution to Brazilian music.[108] In November 2022 she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 23rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, with tribute performances by Luísa Sonza, Giulia Be, Paula Lima, and Manu Gavassi.[109] Two years later, Lee (posthumously) and Carvalho became the first songwriting duo to receive the UBC Prize for their body of work, in a ceremony directed by their son Beto Lee that featured reinterpretations by Fernanda Abreu, Pitty, Léo Jaime, and several younger artists.[110]

Posthumous releases

In January 2011—one year before announcing her retirement from live performances—Lee began work on the album Bossa 'n Movies. Intended as a sequel to her 1991 live album Bossa 'n Roll, it was to feature Portuguese-language versions, written by Lee herself, of famous movie themes reinterpreted in bossa nova style. However, she prioritized the original-songs album Reza (2012) and set Bossa 'n Movies aside after recording vocals for just two tracks.

One of them, "Voando"—Lee's Portuguese version of Domenico Modugno and Franco Migliacci's Italian song "Volare"—was premiered by Globo's Fantástico program on 9 June 2024, thirteen years after recording. The single was released the following day, credited to Lee and Roberto de Carvalho, who served as musical producer, arranger, and sole performer on guitar, bass, programming, and keyboards.[111] It won the 2025 Brazilian Music Awards in the Audiovisual Project category.[112]

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Other ventures

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Radio

In 1986, after leaving Som Livre, Lee and writer Antônio Bivar created and hosted the late-night programme Rádioamador on São Paulo's 89 FM A Rádio Rock. Broadcasting under the pseudonym Lita Ree, she wrote the scripts and voiced multiple characters.[113]

Literature

Children's books

Between 1986 and 1992 Lee published four children's books centred on the rat scientist Dr. Alex.[114][115] She returned to the genre in 2013 with Storynhas (illustrated by Laerte) and again in 2019 with the bestseller Amiga Ursa: uma história triste, mas com final feliz, the true story of a polar bear rescued from a Russian circus.[116][117]

Autobiographies and other prose

In 2016, to huge acclaim, Lee released her first autobiography, Rita Lee: uma autobiografia, published by Globo Livros. The book moved over 200,000 copies—roughly seventy times the average Brazilian print run—received widespread critical acclaim, and earned her the APCA Prize for Biography/Autobiography/Memoir in Literature.[99][108] It was followed by the short-story collection Dropz (2017), a set of 61 illustrated tales on diverse themes;[118] the deluxe career retrospective FavoRita (2018, co-authored with Guilherme Samora), featuring rare photos, censorship documents, and fashion highlights;[119] the posthumously published second autobiographical volume Rita Lee: outra autobiografia (2023), a candid account of her lung-cancer battle;[120] and the 2024 posthumous autofiction O Mito do Mito: de fã e de louco, todo mundo tem um pouco, a satirical exploration of fame, fandom, and show business.[121]

Television and film acting

  • 1977: Cameo as a photographer in the comedy show Os Trapalhões
  • 1989: Played eccentric ex-wife Maria Regina ("Belatrix") in the telenovela Top Model
  • 1991: Appeared as vampire rocker Lita Ree in the telenovela Vamp
  • 1991: Hosted the weekly programme TVleezão on MTV Brasil[122]
  • 1997: Guest-starred as Scarlet Antibes in the sitcom Sai de Baixo episode "Presepada de Natal"
  • 2002–2004: Permanent panellist on the talk show Saia Justa (GNT) alongside Marisa Orth, Fernanda Young, and Mônica Waldvogel
  • 2003: Cameo as herself in the telenovela Celebridade
  • 2005: Co-hosted the talk show Madame Lee with Roberto de Carvalho (GNT)
  • 2010: Performed a new version of her 1985 hit "Ti Ti Ti" as the opening theme and in the finale of the telenovela remake Ti Ti Ti
  • 2017: Featured in the Netflix documentary Laerte-se[123]
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Personal life and death

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Family

In 1976 Lee began a romantic relationship with multi-instrumentalist and composer Roberto de Carvalho, who became her primary musical collaborator for the majority of her songs. They married in 1996 and had three sons: Beto Lee (1977), João (1979), and Antônio (1981). Beto Lee is a guitarist who has collaborated with his parents on stage and recordings.[40] A vegan, Lee was a vocal advocate for animal rights.[124]

Relation with São Paulo

Lee was born and raised in the Vila Mariana neighbourhood of São Paulo's South Zone, where she lived until age 19 in a large house on Rua Joaquim Távora. She often described the area as holding her fondest memories. During her youth she explored the city extensively—from Rua Augusta and Ibirapuera Park to Pacaembu Stadium and Interlagos—places that frequently appeared in her songs.[125] In "Mania de Você", performed live in São Paulo, she sang "Sampa, você me dá água na boca" ("Sampa, you make my mouth water"), expressing her affection for the metropolis.[126] For a time she lived in the Serra da Cantareira, attempting a hippie commune with her sisters.[127]

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Frequently mentioned in her songs, Ibirapuera Park has a square named in honor of Lee.
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In the Vila Mariana district, Lee grew up and lived until she was 19; it was also there that she was arrested during the Brazilian military dictatorship.

Lee also resided in Pompeia, where Os Mutantes formed on Rua Venâncio Aires; the neighbourhood is referenced in "Ôrra Meu" ("I grab the guitar and won't let go until Pompeia screams").[128] Other São Paulo-inspired songs include "Caminhante Noturno" (1969), "José" (1972), "Lá Vou Eu" (1976), "Lady Babel" (1976), "Vírus do Amor" (1985), "Vítima" (1985), "Gloria F" (1985), "Brazix Muamba" (1987), "Venha Até São Paulo" (1993), and "Santa Rita de Sampa" (1997),[127] evoking landmarks such as Largo do Arouche, Liberdade, Praça da Sé, the Tietê River, Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, and Viaduto do Chá.[125]

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Avenida São João × Avenida Ipiranga, immortalised in Veloso's song "Sampa", in which he calls Lee "the most complete translation" of the city.
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Professor Aristóteles Orsini Planetarium, located in Ibirapuera Park, where her wake was held.

In April 2000 her dog Mike went missing in Jardim São Bento;[129] Lee made an emotional on-air plea on SBT's Domingo Legal with Gugu Liberato, offering a reward and appearing on Programa do Jô, Pânico, Transamérica radio, and 89 FM.[130] Musician Leandro Lehart, a neighbour, found and returned the pet, an episode that garnered widespread media attention and highlighted São Paulo's community spirit.[129]

In January 2013, during her 50th-anniversary tour at a Vale do Anhangabaú concert for the city's 459th birthday, Lee performed wrapped in the São Paulo flag, declaring: "I love this city. I've lived here for 67 years! I'm not leaving... If it weren't for São Paulo, Brazil would be much less."[125] Caetano Veloso immortalised her as "the most complete translation" of the city in his song "Sampa",[131] and she was affectionately dubbed "Saint Rita of Sampa".[127]

Lee's legacy in São Paulo endures through a 2023 mural by artists Paulo Terra, Pedro Terra, and Eraldo Moura (Gê Moura) on Avenida Domingos de Morais in Vila Mariana, depicting two phases of her career.[132] She died on 8 May 2023, and her public wake was held on 10 May at the Professor Aristóteles Orsini Planetarium in Ibirapuera Park—a venue she called her "enchanted forest" in her memoirs—drawing thousands of fans and celebrities.[133][134]

In April 2024 a bill to rename Ibirapuera Park "Ibirapuera Park – Rita Lee" was amended; Mayor Ricardo Nunes signed legislation renaming the park's former Praça da Paz as "Praça da Paz – Rita Lee".[135] In July 2024 the São Paulo City Council approved Law No. 18,151, establishing 22 May (the feast day of Saint Rita of Cascia, which Lee symbolically adopted as her "new birthday") as Rita Lee Day.[136]

Health

In 1996 Lee fell from the second-floor balcony of her country farm, shattering her mandibular condyle and requiring surgery to insert titanium pins.[137][138] The incident prompted her to vow to quit drugs and alcohol; she entered rehabilitation in January 2006 and succeeded after attending lectures and therapy.[139] In May 2012 she publicly revealed her bipolar disorder diagnosis, stating it brought relief: "Finally someone told me what I am. The pieces fit."[140]

Death

In May 2021, at age 73, Lee was diagnosed with a primary tumour in her left lung during a routine check-up; doctors initially predicted three to four months' survival.[141] The cancer metastasised, requiring chemotherapy.[142] In April 2022 scans showed one tumour—nicknamed "Jair" after then-president Jair Bolsonaro—had disappeared, though the disease spread to other organs.[143]

In February 2023 she was admitted to Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in São Paulo in "extremely delicate" condition for tests.[144][145] Discharged in March, she received palliative home care with two nurses,[146] having lost the ability to walk and confined to a hospital bed in her apartment.[147]

On 8 May 2023 Lee's condition worsened, and she died at age 75 at her São Paulo home, surrounded by family.[148] President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva decreed three days of national mourning, stating: "An artist ahead of her time. She considered the title 'Queen of Rock' inappropriate, but the nickname truly fits her trajectory."[149] Her public wake at Ibirapuera Planetarium drew thousands of mourners; as her body was taken for cremation that evening, fans chanted "Rita, eu te amo" ("Rita, I love you") and sang her classic "Ovelha Negra" in farewell.[150]

Lee left an estate estimated at R$30 million, including royalties, businesses, real estate, and investments, divided among her sons.[151]

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Legacy

Summarize
Perspective

Lee is widely regarded as the greatest figure in the history of Brazilian rock and its most successful artist, earning her the enduring title "Queen of Brazilian Rock".[152][47]

Critics and scholars credit her with fundamentally shaping the genre in Brazil at a time when rock was often dismissed by the MPB establishment as a foreign threat. As Thales de Menezes wrote in Folha de S.Paulo, she emerged "during a turbulent period when rock was viewed as a 'cultural villain' by major figures in Brazilian music and arts,"[44] yet ultimately became the voice that legitimised and nationalised the style.[153]

Academic Thiago Vieira (UNESP) emphasises her pivotal role in the Tropicália explosion of 1967, noting that Lee and Os Mutantes "broke down the walls that separated Brazilian music from foreign music" through electric guitars, experimental language, and a libertarian attitude that extended far beyond sound. He describes her as the artist who brought "a rock attitude—not just the music, but a transgressive, underground mindset" while championing women's rights in a way that aligned with global counterculture yet remained unmistakably Brazilian.[154]

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Rita Lee at the Vivo Rio (2009)

Musicologist Luiz Tatit observes that, from Lee onward, "love, marriage, and sexual desire began to be addressed from an uninhibited female perspective in Brazilian song, something no woman had done before."[155] José Antônio Barbosa (USP), in his study of the feminine universe in Lee's lyrics, highlights the candid discourse on female pleasure and autonomy that was unprecedented for a Brazilian female composer.[156] Feminist scholar Ana Karla Marcelino (UFPB) calls her "a remarkable representative of the fight against patriarchal ideology,"[157] while Fernando Pereira (Mackenzie Presbyterian University) argues that Lee placed everyday metropolitan femininity on the national agenda: the working woman, the divorced mother, the sexually liberated citizen.

Throughout her career Lee openly confronted taboos—abortion, homosexuality, drugs, divorce, and female desire—often facing censorship and political persecution under the military dictatorship. Her fearless public image and lyrics turned her into a symbol of emancipation, earning her both the nickname "black sheep of music" and recognition as one of the country's greatest artists.[158]

Lee's influence extends across generations. She has been cited as a direct reference or inspiration by a wide range of Brazilian artists, including Marisa Monte, Cássia Eller, Pitty, Zélia Duncan, Paula Toller, Titãs, Daniela Mercury, Anitta, Luísa Sonza, Manu Gavassi, Preta Gil, Ana Carolina, Duda Beat, Fernanda Takai, Iza, Filipe Catto, Paula Lima, Adriana Calcanhotto, and many others.

Rita Lee: Mania de Você and Ritas

On 8 May 2025—two years after Lee's death—the documentary Rita Lee: Mania de Você premiered on HBO Max. Directed by Guido Goldberg and produced by Argentina's Mandarina Contenidos,[159] the film presents an intimate portrait of Lee's life and career through exclusive interviews, archival footage, and testimonies from family, musicians, and celebrities including Gilberto Gil and Ney Matogrosso. A highlight is the reading of a letter Lee wrote to her family shortly before her death, reflecting on her journey and legacy.[160][161]

Less than two weeks later, on 22 May—the feast day of Saint Rita of Cascia, which Lee had symbolically adopted as her "new birthday" and which São Paulo had officially designated as Rita Lee Day—the documentary Ritas opened in Brazilian cinemas.[162] Directed by Oswaldo Santana and co-directed by Karen Harley, the film eschews celebrity interviews and biographical narration in favor of Lee's own voice, drawn from her career-spanning interviews and self-filmed home videos. It offers a personal glimpse into her reclusive later years, showcasing her garden (tended by Roberto de Carvalho), miniature collection, paintings, pet marmosets, dog, and cats.[161][163] The film quickly became the most-viewed Brazilian documentary in cinemas for the year, surpassing 50,000 admissions.[164]

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Commemoration

  • In May 2023, the same month as Lee's death, a mural by artists Paulo Terra, Pedro Terra, and Eraldo Moura was inaugurated on Avenida Domingos de Morais in Vila Mariana, the São Paulo neighbourhood where she spent her childhood.[132]
  • In June 2023, a rescued white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus insularis) from Indonesia—arriving at the Instituto Butantan in São Paulo on 14 June—was named "Rita Lee" in homage to the singer, inspired by her song "Doce Vampiro" and her advocacy for animal rights.[165]
  • In April 2024, the city of Jandira (in the metropolitan region of São Paulo) named a street in the Altos de Jandira neighbourhood after Lee, fulfilling a wish she had expressed years earlier.[166]
  • In May 2024, Rita Lee Park—a 136,000 m² public space with sports facilities, playgrounds, and a splash pad—was inaugurated in the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro, part of the repurposed Olympic Park.[167]
  • In June 2024, Praça da Paz in São Paulo's Ibirapuera Park was renamed "Praça da Paz – Rita Lee" by Mayor Ricardo Nunes, in recognition of her deep connection to the park, which she often called her "enchanted forest."[135]
  • In July 2024, the São Paulo City Council approved Law No. 18,151, establishing 22 May (the feast day of Saint Rita of Cascia, which Lee symbolically adopted as her "new birthday") as Rita Lee Day in the city.[136]
  • In 2025, Lee was featured on a set of postage stamps issued by Correios, alongside themes such as bossa nova and the COP30 climate conference.[168]
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Discography

Main article: Rita Lee discography

Studio albums

Live albums

  • Refestança (1977; with Gilberto Gil)
  • Rita Lee em Bossa 'n Roll (1991)
  • A Marca da Zorra (1995)
  • Acústico MTV: Rita Lee (1998)
  • MTV Ao Vivo (2004)
  • Multishow Ao Vivo (2009)
  • Uma Noite no Luna Park (2024)
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Tours

  • Tutti Frutti Tour (1973–74)
  • Atrás do Porto Tem uma Cidade Tour (1974–75; with Tutti Frutti)
  • Fruto Proibido Tour (1975–76; with Tutti Frutti)
  • Entradas e Bandeiras Tour (1976–77; with Tutti Frutti)
  • Refestança (1977; with Gilberto Gil)
  • Babilônia Tour (1978; with Tutti Frutti)
  • Mania de Você Tour (1979–80)
  • Lança Perfume Tour (1980–81)
  • Saúde Tour (1981)
  • Rita Lee e Roberto Tour Brasil 83
  • Rita Lee e Roberto Tour 87/88
  • Bossa 'n Roll Tour (1991–92)
  • Rita Lee & Banda (1993–95)
  • A Marca da Zorra Tour (1995–96)
  • Santa Rita de Sampa Tour (1997–98)
  • Meio Desleegada Tour (1998–99)
  • 3001 Tour (2000–01)
  • Yê Yê Yê de Bamba Tour (2002)
  • Balacobaco Tour (2004)
  • PicNic Tour (2007–09)
  • Multishows Tour (2009–10)
  • Etc... Tour (2010–12)
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Notes

  1. [a]
    Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈʁi.tɐ ˈli] HEE-tah-LEE
  2. [b]
    Three of Lee's albums reached the top ten of Brazil's year-end best-sellers chart according to Nopem (representing approximately two-thirds of the Brazilian phonographic market through major retailers in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo):[29] Rita Lee e Roberto de Carvalho (1982) at No. 3, Rita Lee em Bossa 'n Roll (1991) at No. 5, and Rita Lee (1980) at No. 7. Fruto Proibido (1975) placed 12th, while Acústico MTV (1998) and Bombom (1983) ranked 45th and 46th, respectively.[30]

    See also

    References

    External links

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